[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 111 (Monday, June 10, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 39674]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-14428]



[[Page 39674]]

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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: U.S. Census Bureau.
    Title: Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey.
    Form Number(s): SM-42(00).
    Agency Approval Number: 0607-0190.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Burden: 5,320 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 3,800.
    Avg Hours Per Response: 7 minutes.
    Needs and Uses: The U.S. Census Bureau requests a three-year 
extension of the current OMB approval of the Monthly Wholesale Trade 
Survey (MWTS). The MWTS canvasses firms primarily engaged in merchant 
wholesale trade that are located in the United States. This survey 
provides the only continuous measures of monthly wholesale sales, end-
of-month inventories, method of inventory valuation, and inventories/
sales ratios. The sales and inventory estimates produced from the MWTS 
provide current trends of economic activity by kind of business for the 
United States. Also, the estimates compiled from this survey provide 
valuable information for economic policy decisions by the government 
and are widely used by private businesses, trade organizations, 
professional associations, and other business research and analysis 
organizations.
    The estimates produced by the MWTS are critical to the accurate 
measurement of total economic activity of the United States. The 
estimates of sales made by wholesale locations represent only merchant 
wholesalers who take title to goods bought for resale to other 
companies. Wholesalers normally sell to industrial distributors, retail 
operations, cooperatives, and other businesses. The sales estimates 
include sales made on credit as well as on a cash basis, but exclude 
receipts from sales taxes and interest charges from credit sales.
    The estimates of merchandise inventories represent all merchandise 
held in wholesale locations, warehouses, and offices, as well as goods 
held by others for sale on consignment or in transit for distribution 
to wholesale establishments. The estimates of merchandise inventories 
exclude fixtures and supplies not for resale, as well as merchandise 
held on consignment which are owned by others. Inventories are an 
important component in the Bureau of Economic Analysis's (BEA) 
calculation of the investment portion of the Gross Domestic Product 
(GDP).
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit, Federal 
Government, State, local or Tribal Governments.
    Frequency: Monthly.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C., Section 182.
    OMB Desk Officer: Susan Schechter, (202) 395-5103.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Madeleine Clayton, Departmental Paperwork 
Clearance Officer, (202)482-3129, Department of Commerce, room 6608, 
14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the 
Internet at [email protected]).
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to Susan Schechter, OMB Desk Officer, room 10201, New Executive Office 
Building, Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: June 4, 2002.
Madeleine Clayton,
Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 02-14428 Filed 6-7-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P