[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 125 (Wednesday, June 28, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39864-39865]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-16289]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Economic Analysis


Annual Survey of Selected Services Transactions with Unaffiliated 
Foreign Persons

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to

[[Page 39865]]

comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as 
required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13 (44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before August 28, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Linda Englemeier, 
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6086 
, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington D.C. 20230 or by E-mail 
to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instruments and instructions 
should be directed to: R. David Belli, U.S. Department of Commerce, 
Bureau of Economic Analysis, BE-50 (OC), Washington D.C. 20230 
(Telephone: 202-606-9800).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Annual Survey of Selected Services Transactions with 
Unaffiliated Foreign Persons (Form BE-22) obtains reliable and up-to-
date information on selected U.S. services transactions with 
unaffiliated foreign persons. It is intended to update the results of 
the BE-20, Benchmark Survey of Selected Services Transactions with 
Unaffiliated Foreign Persons. The BE-20 survey is conducted once every 
five years, and the last survey covered 1996. A BE-22 survey is 
conducted each of the four years between the two benchmark surveys; the 
last BE-22 survey covered 1999. Some of the major purposes of the 
survey are to provide information needed in formulating U.S. 
international trade policy on services, supporting bilateral and 
multilateral trade negotiations and monitoring trade agreements, 
compiling the U.S. international transactions and national income and 
product accounts, assessing and promoting U.S. competitiveness in 
international trade in services, and improving the ability of U.S. 
businesses to identify and evaluate market opportunities. No changes 
are being proposed for Form BE-22.

II. Method of Collection

    The BE-22 survey must be filed by each U.S. person that had 
transactions (either sales or purchases) in excess of $1,000,000 with 
an unaffiliated foreign person in any of the services covered by the 
survey. If a U.S. person had transactions (either sales or purchases) 
in the types of services covered by the survey but they were $1,000,000 
or less, the U.S. person is requested to voluntarily provide an 
estimate of the total for each type of service. The data collected are 
sample data covering the transactions between U.S. persons and 
unaffiliated foreign persons. Universe estimates are developed from the 
reported sample.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0608-0060.
    Form Number: BE-22.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit, not-for-profit 
institutions, farms, and State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,500 annually.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 11.5 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 17,250 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $517,500 (based on an estimated 
reporting burden of 17,250 hours and estimated hourly cost of $30).
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 22, United States Code, Sections 3101-3108.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information has practical utility; 
(b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (Including 
hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on respondents, including through the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they will also become a matter of public record.

    Dated: June 22, 2000.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-16289 Filed 6-27-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-06-P