Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, 48413-48414 [2018-20785]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 186 / Tuesday, September 25, 2018 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Agency: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), Department of Commerce. Title: Quarterly Survey of Transactions in Selected Services and Intellectual Property with Foreign Persons. OMB Control Number: 0608–0067. Form Number: BE–125. Type of Request: Regular submission. Number of Responses: 8,800 annually (2,200 filed each quarter; 1,700 reporting mandatory data, and 500 that would file other responses). Average Hours per Response: 21 hours is the average for those reporting data, and one hour is the average for those filing an exemption or providing voluntary responses, but hours may vary considerably among respondents because of differences in company size and complexity. Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 144,800. Needs and Uses: The Quarterly Survey of Transactions in Selected Services and Intellectual Property with Foreign Persons (BE–125) is a survey that collects data from U.S. persons who engage in covered transactions with foreign persons in selected services or intellectual property. A U.S. Person means any individual, branch, partnership, associated group, association, estate, trust, corporation, or other organization (whether or not organized under the laws of any State), resident in the United States or subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. A U.S. person must report if they had sales of covered services or intellectual property to foreign persons that exceeded $6 million for the previous fiscal year, or are expected to exceed that amount during the current fiscal year, or if they had purchases of covered services or intellectual property from foreign persons that exceeded $4 million for the previous fiscal year, or are expected to exceed that amount during the current fiscal year. The data are needed to monitor U.S. trade in services, to analyze the impact of these cross-border services and intellectual property transactions on the U.S. and foreign economies, to compile and improve the U.S. economic accounts, to support U.S. commercial VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:40 Sep 24, 2018 Jkt 244001 policy on trade in services, to conduct trade promotion, and to improve the ability of U.S. businesses to identify and evaluate market opportunities. The data are used in estimating the services component of the U.S. international transactions accounts (ITAs) and national income and product accounts (NIPAs). The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) is implementing one change to the reporting requirements and several modifications to the data collected on the BE–125 survey, beginning with reporting for first quarter 2019. These modifications will allow BEA to align its statistics more closely with international economic accounting guidelines, increasing the quality and usefulness of BEA’s published statistics on trade in services. BEA will adjust the reporting requirements of the survey so they are applied based on ‘‘combined’’ thresholds. Currently, the reporting requirements for the BE–125 survey are applied based on the dollar amount of each covered transaction type collected on the survey. For example, a reporter with transactions in several of the services and intellectual property categories covered by the survey, may only exceed the threshold for mandatorily reporting additional detail by country, and by relationship to the foreign transactor (foreign affiliate, foreign parent group, or unaffiliated) for a single transaction type. Under this approach, the reporter is only required to report this additional detail, on the mandatory schedule(s), for the single transaction type in excess of the $6 million (sales) or $4 million (purchases) threshold. The change will modify the reporting threshold to be applied based on a ‘‘combined’’ threshold for sales or purchases of the covered types of services and intellectual property transactions. U.S. persons with combined sales in excess of $6 million or with combined purchases in excess of $4 million, are required to disaggregate all transaction types by country and by relationship to the foreign transactor on the mandatory schedule(s). Because the combined thresholds are applied separately to sales and to purchases, the mandatory reporting requirements may apply only to sales, only to purchases, or to both. BEA will make the following modifications to the data collection instrument: (1) Research and development services will be broken out into two categories: (1) Provision of customized and non-customized R&D services and PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 48413 (2) other R&D services, including testing. (2) Engineering, architectural, and surveying services will be broken out into three categories: (1) Architectural services; (2) engineering services; and (3) surveying, cartography, certification, testing, and technical inspection services. (3) Management, consulting, and public relation services will be broken out into three categories: (1) Market research services; (2) public opinion polling services; and (3) other management, consulting, and public relations services. Trade exhibition and sales convention services will be collected separately. (4) Database and other information services will be broken out into two components: (1) News agency services and (2) other information services. (5) Computer services will be expanded into three categories: (1) Computer software, including end-user licenses and customization services; (2) cloud computing and data storage services; and (3) other computer services. (6) Several service categories previously collected under ‘‘Other selected services’’ will be collected separately. These services include contract manufacturing services, disbursements for sales promotion and representation, photographic services (including satellite photography), space transport services, trade exhibition and sales convention services, agricultural services, and waste treatment and depollution services. (7) Mandatory Schedule C will be modified to only collect related goods details for construction services. On the current BE–125 survey, exports (sales) of three service types are collected on a separate schedule, Schedule C, to allow for reporting of information on the gross operating revenues and related goods exports and foreign expenses. The three categories are: (1) Construction services; (2) engineering, architectural, and surveying services; and (3) mining services. Beginning with reporting for first quarter 2019, only construction services will be collected on Schedule C. Mining services, as well as the three new categories that will replace engineering, architectural, and surveying services, will be collected on Schedule A. BEA estimates the proposed changes, being implemented beginning with reporting for first quarter 2019, will increase the average number of hours per response from 19 hours to 21 hours for those reporting data. The reporting thresholds of the current BE–125 survey will be retained. The effort to keep E:\FR\FM\25SEN1.SGM 25SEN1 48414 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 186 / Tuesday, September 25, 2018 / Notices current reporting thresholds unchanged is intended to minimize respondent burden while considering the needs of data users. Existing language in the instructions and definitions will be reviewed and adjusted as necessary to clarify survey requirements. Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit organizations. Frequency: Quarterly. Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory. OMB Desk Officer: Robert Sivinski, (202) 395–1205. This information collection request may be viewed at reginfo.gov https:// www.reginfo.gov/public/. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce collections currently under review by OMB. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to OIRA_Submission@ omb.eop.gov. Sheleen Dumas, Department Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer. [FR Doc. 2018–20785 Filed 9–24–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–06–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Agency: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), Department of Commerce. Title: Quarterly Survey of Ocean Freight Revenues and Foreign Expenses of U.S. Carriers (BE–30) and the Quarterly Survey of U.S. Airline Operators’ Foreign Revenues and Expenses (BE–37). OMB Control Number: 0608–0011. Form Number: BE–30 and BE–37. Type of Request: Regular submission. Number of Responses: BE–30 responses: 280 annually (70 filed each quarter; 62 reporting mandatory data, and 8 that would file exemption claims). BE–37 responses: 120 annually (30 filed each quarter; 29 reporting mandatory data, and one that would file an exemption claim). Average Hours per Response: 4 hours is the average for those reporting data and one hour is the average for those filing an exemption, but hours may vary considerably among respondents because of differences in company size and complexity. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:40 Sep 24, 2018 Jkt 244001 Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,492 (BE–30 burden hours of 1,024 and BE–37 burden hours of 468). Needs and Uses: The Quarterly Survey of Ocean Freight Revenues and Foreign Expenses of U.S. Carriers (BE– 30) is a survey that collects data from U.S. ocean freight carriers (owners and operators) whose total covered revenues or total covered expenses incurred outside the United States were $500,000 or more in the previous year or are expected to be $500,000 or more during the current year. The covered revenues are: (1) Revenue on cargo outbound from U.S. ports and the associated shipping weight; (2) revenue on cargo inbound into the United States and the associated shipping weight; (3) revenue on cross-trade cargoes; and (4) charter hire (with crew) and space leasing revenues from foreign residents. The covered expenses are: (1) Fuel expenses in foreign countries; (2) expenses in foreign countries (other than fuel expenses); and (3) charter hire (with crew) and space leasing payments to foreign residents. The Quarterly Survey of U.S. Airline Operators’ Foreign Revenues and Expenses (BE–37) is a survey that collects data from U.S. airline operators engaged in the international transportation of goods and/or passengers and whose total covered revenues or total covered expenses incurred outside the United States were $500,000 or more in the previous year or are expected to be $500,000 or more during the current year. The covered revenues are: (1) Revenue derived from carriage of export freight and express from the United States to points outside the United States; (2) revenue derived from carriage of freight and express originating from, and destined to, points outside the United States; (3) revenue derived from transporting passengers originating from, and destined to, points outside the United States; (4) revenue from transporting passengers to and from the United States and the associated number of passengers; and (5) interline settlement receipts from foreign airline operators. The covered expenses are: (1) Expenses incurred outside the United States for fuel and oil, station and maintenance bases, wages, and other goods and services purchased abroad (except aircraft leasing expenses); (2) aircraft (with crew) leasing expenses; and (3) interline settlement payments to foreign airline operators. The data collected on the surveys are needed to monitor U.S. trade in transport services, to analyze the impact of these cross-border services on the U.S. and foreign economies, to compile PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 and improve the U.S. economic accounts, to support U.S. commercial policy on trade in transport services, to conduct trade promotion, and to improve the ability of U.S. businesses to identify and evaluate market opportunities. The data are used in estimating the transport component of the U.S. international transactions accounts (ITAs) and national income and product accounts (NIPAs). The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) is not making any modifications to the current BE–30 and BE–37 surveys. The effort to keep current reporting requirements unchanged is intended to minimize respondent burden while considering the needs of data users. Existing language in the instructions and definitions will be reviewed and adjusted as necessary to clarify survey requirements. Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit organizations. Frequency: Quarterly. Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory. OMB Desk Officer: Robert Sivinski, (202) 395–1205. This information collection request may be viewed at reginfo.gov https:// www.reginfo.gov/public/. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce collections currently under review by OMB. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to OIRA_Submission@ omb.eop.gov. Sheleen Dumas, Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer. [FR Doc. 2018–20788 Filed 9–24–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–06–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Bureau of Economic Analysis Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Agency: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), Department of Commerce. Title: Quarterly Survey of Insurance Transactions by U.S. Insurance Companies with Foreign Persons. OMB Control Number: 0608–0066. Form Number: BE–45. Type of Request: Regular submission. E:\FR\FM\25SEN1.SGM 25SEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 186 (Tuesday, September 25, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48413-48414]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-20785]



[[Page 48413]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35).
    Agency: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), Department of Commerce.
    Title: Quarterly Survey of Transactions in Selected Services and 
Intellectual Property with Foreign Persons.
    OMB Control Number: 0608-0067.
    Form Number: BE-125.
    Type of Request: Regular submission.
    Number of Responses: 8,800 annually (2,200 filed each quarter; 
1,700 reporting mandatory data, and 500 that would file other 
responses).
    Average Hours per Response: 21 hours is the average for those 
reporting data, and one hour is the average for those filing an 
exemption or providing voluntary responses, but hours may vary 
considerably among respondents because of differences in company size 
and complexity.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 144,800.
    Needs and Uses: The Quarterly Survey of Transactions in Selected 
Services and Intellectual Property with Foreign Persons (BE-125) is a 
survey that collects data from U.S. persons who engage in covered 
transactions with foreign persons in selected services or intellectual 
property. A U.S. Person means any individual, branch, partnership, 
associated group, association, estate, trust, corporation, or other 
organization (whether or not organized under the laws of any State), 
resident in the United States or subject to the jurisdiction of the 
United States. A U.S. person must report if they had sales of covered 
services or intellectual property to foreign persons that exceeded $6 
million for the previous fiscal year, or are expected to exceed that 
amount during the current fiscal year, or if they had purchases of 
covered services or intellectual property from foreign persons that 
exceeded $4 million for the previous fiscal year, or are expected to 
exceed that amount during the current fiscal year.
    The data are needed to monitor U.S. trade in services, to analyze 
the impact of these cross-border services and intellectual property 
transactions on the U.S. and foreign economies, to compile and improve 
the U.S. economic accounts, to support U.S. commercial policy on trade 
in services, to conduct trade promotion, and to improve the ability of 
U.S. businesses to identify and evaluate market opportunities. The data 
are used in estimating the services component of the U.S. international 
transactions accounts (ITAs) and national income and product accounts 
(NIPAs).
    The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) is implementing one change to 
the reporting requirements and several modifications to the data 
collected on the BE-125 survey, beginning with reporting for first 
quarter 2019. These modifications will allow BEA to align its 
statistics more closely with international economic accounting 
guidelines, increasing the quality and usefulness of BEA's published 
statistics on trade in services.
    BEA will adjust the reporting requirements of the survey so they 
are applied based on ``combined'' thresholds. Currently, the reporting 
requirements for the BE-125 survey are applied based on the dollar 
amount of each covered transaction type collected on the survey. For 
example, a reporter with transactions in several of the services and 
intellectual property categories covered by the survey, may only exceed 
the threshold for mandatorily reporting additional detail by country, 
and by relationship to the foreign transactor (foreign affiliate, 
foreign parent group, or unaffiliated) for a single transaction type. 
Under this approach, the reporter is only required to report this 
additional detail, on the mandatory schedule(s), for the single 
transaction type in excess of the $6 million (sales) or $4 million 
(purchases) threshold.
    The change will modify the reporting threshold to be applied based 
on a ``combined'' threshold for sales or purchases of the covered types 
of services and intellectual property transactions. U.S. persons with 
combined sales in excess of $6 million or with combined purchases in 
excess of $4 million, are required to disaggregate all transaction 
types by country and by relationship to the foreign transactor on the 
mandatory schedule(s). Because the combined thresholds are applied 
separately to sales and to purchases, the mandatory reporting 
requirements may apply only to sales, only to purchases, or to both.
    BEA will make the following modifications to the data collection 
instrument:
    (1) Research and development services will be broken out into two 
categories: (1) Provision of customized and non-customized R&D services 
and (2) other R&D services, including testing.
    (2) Engineering, architectural, and surveying services will be 
broken out into three categories: (1) Architectural services; (2) 
engineering services; and (3) surveying, cartography, certification, 
testing, and technical inspection services.
    (3) Management, consulting, and public relation services will be 
broken out into three categories: (1) Market research services; (2) 
public opinion polling services; and (3) other management, consulting, 
and public relations services. Trade exhibition and sales convention 
services will be collected separately.
    (4) Database and other information services will be broken out into 
two components: (1) News agency services and (2) other information 
services.
    (5) Computer services will be expanded into three categories: (1) 
Computer software, including end-user licenses and customization 
services; (2) cloud computing and data storage services; and (3) other 
computer services.
    (6) Several service categories previously collected under ``Other 
selected services'' will be collected separately. These services 
include contract manufacturing services, disbursements for sales 
promotion and representation, photographic services (including 
satellite photography), space transport services, trade exhibition and 
sales convention services, agricultural services, and waste treatment 
and depollution services.
    (7) Mandatory Schedule C will be modified to only collect related 
goods details for construction services. On the current BE-125 survey, 
exports (sales) of three service types are collected on a separate 
schedule, Schedule C, to allow for reporting of information on the 
gross operating revenues and related goods exports and foreign 
expenses. The three categories are: (1) Construction services; (2) 
engineering, architectural, and surveying services; and (3) mining 
services. Beginning with reporting for first quarter 2019, only 
construction services will be collected on Schedule C. Mining services, 
as well as the three new categories that will replace engineering, 
architectural, and surveying services, will be collected on Schedule A.
    BEA estimates the proposed changes, being implemented beginning 
with reporting for first quarter 2019, will increase the average number 
of hours per response from 19 hours to 21 hours for those reporting 
data. The reporting thresholds of the current BE-125 survey will be 
retained. The effort to keep

[[Page 48414]]

current reporting thresholds unchanged is intended to minimize 
respondent burden while considering the needs of data users. Existing 
language in the instructions and definitions will be reviewed and 
adjusted as necessary to clarify survey requirements.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit organizations.
    Frequency: Quarterly.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    OMB Desk Officer: Robert Sivinski, (202) 395-1205.
    This information collection request may be viewed at reginfo.gov 
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/. Follow the instructions to view 
Department of Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to [email protected].

Sheleen Dumas,
Department Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-20785 Filed 9-24-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-06-P
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