[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 222 (Tuesday, November 18, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65031-65032]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-28612]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Economic Analysis


Data Sharing Activity

AGENCY: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of determination.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) will provide to the 
Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) data collected from the Benchmark 
Survey of Foreign Direct Investment in the United States--1997 and the 
Benchmark Survey of U.S. Direct Investment Abroad--1999 for statistical 
purposes exclusively. In accordance with the requirement of Section 
524(d) of the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical 
Efficiency Act of 2002 (CIPSEA), we provided the opportunity for public 
comment on this data-sharing action (see the July 7, 2003 edition of 
the Federal Register (68 FR 40241)). Through the use of these shared 
data, the Census Bureau will augment its existing research and 
development (R&D)-related data collected in the Survey of Industrial 
Research and Development, which is funded by the National Science 
Foundation (NSF). The Census Bureau will also identify data quality 
issues arising from reporting differences in the BEA and Census Bureau 
surveys and improve its survey sample frames. The NSF will be provided 
non-confidential aggregate public use data and reports that have 
cleared BEA and Census Bureau disclosure review. Disclosure review is a 
process conducted to verify that the data to be released do not reveal 
any confidential information.

DATES: BEA will make the data collected from the Benchmark Survey of 
Foreign Direct Investment in the United States--1997 and the Benchmark 
Survey of U.S. Direct Investment Abroad--1999 available to the Census 
Bureau on November 18, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information on 
this program should be directed to Ned Howenstine, Chief, Research 
Branch, International Investment Division, Bureau of Economic Analysis 
(BE-50), Washington, DC 20230, by phone on (202) 606-9845 or by fax 
(202) 606-5318.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    CIPSEA (Pub. L. 107-347, Title V) and the International Investment 
and Trade in Services Survey Act (Pub. L. 94-472, 22 United States Code 
(U.S.C.) 3101-3108) allow BEA and the Census Bureau to share certain 
business data for statistical purposes exclusively. Section 524(d) of 
the CIPSEA required a Federal Register notice announcing the intent to 
share data (allowing 60 days for public comment).
    On July 7, 2003 (68 FR 40241), BEA published in the Federal 
Register a notice of this proposed data-sharing activity and request 
for comment on the subject. BEA did not receive any public comments.

Shared Data

    BEA will provide the Census Bureau with data collected from the 
Benchmark Survey of Foreign Direct Investment in the United States--
1997 and the Benchmark Survey of U.S. Direct Investment Abroad--1999. 
The Census Bureau also will share data from the 1997 and 1999 Surveys 
of Industrial Research and Development with BEA. The Census Bureau 
issued separate notices addressing this issue (68 FR 33094, June 2, 
2003 and 68 FR 54201, September 16, 2003).
    BEA will provide the Census Bureau with only those data items 
necessary to link records from the two benchmark surveys with records 
from the Census Bureau's Surveys of Industrial Research and 
Development. The Census Bureau will use these data for statistical 
purposes exclusively. Through record linkage, the Census Bureau will

[[Page 65032]]

augment its existing R&D-related data, identify data quality issues 
arising from reporting differences in the Census Bureau and BEA 
surveys, and improve its survey sample frames.

Statistical Purposes for the Shared Data

    The data collected from the Benchmark Survey of Foreign Direct 
Investment in the United States--1997 and the Benchmark Survey of U.S. 
Direct Investment Abroad--1999 are used to estimate expenditures on 
research and development performed by U.S. affiliates of foreign 
companies and U.S. parent companies, R&D employment, and other 
statistics on the financial structure and operations of these 
companies. Statistics from the Benchmark Survey of Foreign Direct 
Investment in the United States--1997 were published in Foreign Direct 
Investment in the United States: Final Results From the 1997 Benchmark 
Survey; statistics from the Benchmark Survey of U.S. Direct Investment 
Abroad--1999 will be published in U.S. Direct Investment Abroad: Final 
Results From the 1999 Benchmark Survey (forthcoming). All data are 
collected under sections 3101-3108, of Title 22 U.S.C.

Data Access and Confidentiality

    Title 22, U.S.C. 3104 protects the confidentiality of these data. 
These data may be seen only by persons sworn to uphold the 
confidentiality of the information. Access to the shared data will be 
restricted to specifically authorized personnel and will be provided 
for statistical purposes only. Any results of this research are subject 
to BEA disclosure protection. All Census Bureau employees with access 
to these data will become BEA Special Sworn Employees--meaning that 
they, under penalty of law, must uphold the data's confidentiality. 
Selected NSF employees will provide BEA with expertise on the aspects 
of R&D performance in the United States and by U.S. companies abroad; 
these NSF consultants assisting with the work at the BEA also will 
become BEA Special Sworn Employees. No confidential data will be 
provided to the NSF. To further safeguard the confidentiality of these 
data, BEA will conduct an Information Technology security review of the 
Census Bureau prior to the commencement of the project. Any results of 
this research are subject to BEA disclosure protection.

    Dated: November 4, 2003.
J. Steven Landefeld,
Director, Bureau of Economic Analysis.
[FR Doc. 03-28612 Filed 11-17-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-06-P