[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 165 (Monday, August 26, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 54748-54749]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-21691]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 165 / Monday, August 26, 2002 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 54748]]



DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Economic Analysis

15 CFR Part 801

[Docket No. 02-0725180-2180-01]
RIN 0691-AA43


International Services Surveys: BE-22, Annual Survey of Selected 
Services Transactions with Unaffiliated Foreign Persons

AGENCY: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) publishes this propose 
rule to revise the reporting requirements for the BE-22, Annual Survey 
of Selected Services Transactions with Unaffiliated Foreign Persons.
    The BE-22 survey is conducted by BEA under the International 
Investment and Trade in Services Survey Act. The data are needed to 
compile the U.S. international transactions, national income and 
product, and input-output accounts; support U.S. trade policy 
initiatives; assess U.S. competitiveness in international trade in 
services; and improve the ability of U.S. businesses to identify and 
evaluate market opportunities. This document solicits comments on 
changes to the BE-22 survey and proposes changes to the regulation 
governing the BE-22. The survey incorporates new reporting categories 
for trade-related services, auxiliary insurance services, and waste 
treatment and depollution services; adds coverage of transcription 
services; and amends several other services categories. These changes 
mirror changes introduced in the 2001 BE-20 benchmark survey. 
Additionally, a new reporting category is proposed for medical 
services, receipts only. The proposed rule revises the list of items 
set forth in the ``covered services'' section of the existing rule, to 
reflect the addition of the new category in the survey. These changes 
to the survey and regulations will close some statistical gaps in the 
coverage of cross-border services transactions and bring the survey 
into better alignment with international standards for compilation of 
statistics on trade in services.

DATES: Comments on these proposed rules will receive consideration if 
submitted in writing on or before October 25, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to the Office of the Chief, 
International Investment Division (BE-50), Bureau of Economic Analysis, 
U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington DC 20230. Because of slow mail, 
and to assure that comments are received in a timely manner, please 
consider using one of the following delivery methods: (1) Fax to (202) 
606-5318, (2) deliver by courier to U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau 
of Economic Analysis (BE-50), Shipping and Receiving Section, room M-
100, 1441 L Street, NW., Washington, DC 20005, or e-mail to 
[email protected]. Comments received will be available for public 
inspection in room 7005, 1441 L Street, NW., between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 
p.m., Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: R. David Belli, Chief, International 
Investment Division (BE-50), Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230; phone (202) 606-9800.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This proposed rule amends 15 CFR part 801 by 
revising Sec. 801.9(b)(6)(ii) to set forth revised reporting 
requirements for the BE-22, Annual Survey of Selected Services 
Transactions with Unaffiliated Foreign Persons. The survey is conducted 
by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), U.S. Department of Commerce, 
under the International Investment and Trade in Services Survey Act 
(Pub. L. 94-472, 90 Stat. 2059, 22 U.S.C. 3101-3108, as amended). 
Section 3103(a) of the Act provides that ``The President shall, to the 
extent he deems necessary and feasible-- * * * (1) conduct a regular 
data collection program to secure current information * * * related to 
international investment and trade in services * * *'' In Section 3 of 
Executive Order 11961, as amended by Executive Order 12518, the 
President delegated the authority under the Act as concerns 
international trade in services to the Secretary of Commerce, who has 
redelegated it to BEA.
    The BE-22 is an annual survey of selected services transactions 
with unaffiliated foreign persons. The data are needed to compile the 
U.S. international transactions, national income and product, and 
input-output accounts; support U.S. trade policy initiatives; assess 
U.S. competitiveness in international trade in services; and improve 
the ability of U.S. businesses to identify and evaluate market 
opportunities.
    This document solicits comments on changes to the BE-22 survey and 
proposes changes to the regulation governing the BE-22. The survey 
incorporates new reporting categories for trade-related services, 
auxiliary insurance services, and waste treatment and depollution 
services; adds coverage of transcription services; and amends several 
other services categories. These changes mirror changes introduced in 
the 2001 BE-20 benchmark survey. Additionally, a new reporting category 
is proposed for medical services, receipts only. The proposed rule 
revises the list of items set forth in the ``covered services'' section 
of the existing rule, to reflect this new category in the survey. These 
changes to the survey and regulations will close statistical gaps in 
the coverage of cross-border services transactions and bring the survey 
into better alignment with international standards for compilation of 
statistics on trade in services.

Executive Order 12866

    This proposed rule is not significant for purposes of E.O. 12866.

Executive Order 13132

    This proposed rule does not contain policies with Federalism 
implications as that term is defined in E.O. 13132.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This proposed rule contains a new collection-of-information 
requirement subject to review and approval by the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The new 
requirement will be submitted to OMB for approval as a revision to a 
collection currently approved under OMB control number 0608-0060. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required to 
respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure to 
comply

[[Page 54749]]

with, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act unless that collection displays a currently 
valid OMB Control Number.
    The survey, as proposed, is expected to result in the filing of 
reports from approximately 1,600 respondents. The respondent reporting 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to vary from 
less than four hours to 500 hours, with an overall average burden of 
11.5 hours. This includes time for reviewing the instructions, 
searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data 
needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. 
Thus, the total respondent burden of the survey is estimated at about 
18,400 hours (1,600 times 11.5 hours average burden).
    Comments are requested concerning: (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the agency, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) 
ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the 
respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology. Comments should be addressed to: 
Director, Bureau of Economic Analysis (BE-1), U.S. Department of 
Commerce, Washington, DC 20230; and to the Office of Management and 
Budget, O.I.R.A., Paperwork Reduction Project 0608-0058, Washington, DC 
20503 (Attention PRA Desk Officer for BEA).

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Chief Counsel for Regulation, Department of Commerce, has 
certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy, Small Business 
Administration, under the provisions of the Regulatory Flexibility Act 
(5 U.S.C. 605(b)), that this proposed rulemaking, if adopted, will not 
have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities. While the survey does not collect data on total sales or 
other measures of the overall size of businesses that respond to the 
survey, historically the respondent universe has been comprised mainly 
of major U.S. corporations. With the exemption level for the survey 
being $1 million in covered receipts or payments, few small businesses 
can be expected to be subject to reporting. Of those smaller businesses 
that must report, most will tend to have specialized operations and 
activities and thus will be likely to report only one type of service 
transaction, often limited to transactions with a single partner 
country; therefore, the burden on them can be expected to be small.

List of Subjects in 15 CFR Part 801

    Economic statistics, International transactions, Foreign trade, 
Penalties, Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements.

    Dated: July 17, 2002.
J. Steven Landefeld,
Director, Bureau of Economic Analysis.

    For the reasons set forth in the preamble, BEA proposes to amend 15 
CFR part 801, as follows:

PART 801--SURVEY OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN SERVICES BETWEEN U.S. 
AND FOREIGN PERSONS

    1. The authority citation for 15 CFR part 801 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301, 15 U.S.C. 4908, 22 U.S.C. 3101-3108, 
and E.O. 11961 (3 CFR, 1977 Comp., p. 860 as amended by E.O. 12013 
(3 CFR, 1977 Comp., p. 147), E.O. 12318 (3 CFR, 1981 Comp., p. 173), 
and E.O. 12518 (3 CFR, 1985 Comp., p. 348).

    2. Section 801.9(b)(6)(ii) is revised to read as follows:


Sec. 801.8  Reports required.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (6) * * *
    (ii) Covered services. With the exceptions given in this paragraph, 
the services covered by this survey are the same as those covered by 
the BE-20, Benchmark Survey of Selected Services Transactions with 
Unaffiliated Foreign Persons--2001, as listed in Sec. 801.10(c) of this 
part. The exceptions are the addition of coverage of medical services, 
receipts only, and the elimination of coverage of four small types of 
services--agricultural services; management of health care facilities; 
mailing, reproduction, and commercial art; and temporary help supply 
services.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 02-21691 Filed 8-23-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-06-P