[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 194 (Wednesday, October 7, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53868-53869]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-26845]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    DOC has submitted 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.
    Title: Annual Survey of Construction, Engineering, Architectural, 
and Mining Services Provided by U.S. Firms to Unaffiliated Foreign 
Persons.
    Form Number(s): BE-47.
    Agency Approval Number: 0608-0015.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection .
    Burden: 700 hours.

[[Page 53869]]

    Number of Respondents: 155.
    Avg Hours Per Response: 4.5 hours.
    Needs and Uses: The Government requires data from the BE-47, Annual 
Survey of Construction, Engineering, Architectural, and Mining Services 
Provided by U.S. Firms to Unaffiliated Foreign Persons, to obtain 
accurate and up-to-date information on U.S. sales to unaffiliated 
foreign persons of construction, engineering, architectural, and mining 
services. It will use the data collected in monitoring U.S. exports of 
construction, engineering, architectural, and mining services, 
analyzing their impact on the U.S. and foreign economies, supporting 
U.S. international trade policy on such services, compiling the balance 
of payments, national income and product, and input-output accounts of 
the United States, assessing U.S. competitiveness in international 
trade in services, and improving the ability of U.S. businesses to 
identify and evaluate market opportunities. For example, the Uruguay 
round of multilateral trade negotiations produced an agreement, the 
General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), that will liberalize 
market access rules and promote more equal treatment of U.S. 
construction and engineering firms. The BE-47 data will help measure 
gains, by individual foreign country, obtained in construction and 
related services under the GATS. Similar needs arise with respect to 
the North American Free Trade Agreement among the United States, 
Canada, and Mexico. Finally, the Government needs the data to help 
gauge the effects of foreign economic developments, such as the recent 
Asian financial crisis, on U.S. business interests abroad.
    Affected Public: U.S. business or other for-profit institutions 
providing construction, engineering, architectural, and mining services 
to unaffiliated foreign persons.
    Frequency: Annual.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 22 U.S.C., Sections 3101-3108, as amended.
    OMB Desk Officer: Paul Bugg, (202) 395-3093.
    You may obtain copies of the above information collection proposal 
by calling or writing Linda Engelmeier, DOC Forms Clearance Officer, 
(202) 482-3272, Department of Commerce, Room 5327, 14th Street and 
Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.
    Send comments on the proposed information collection within 30 days 
of publication of this notice to Paul Bugg, OMB Desk Officer, Room 
10201, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: October 1, 1998.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 98-26845 Filed 10-6-98; 8:45am]
BILLING CODE: 3510-06-P