[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 223 (Wednesday, November 19, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65241-65242]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-28935]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


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: Annual Trade Survey.
    Form Number(s): SA-42, SA-42A, SA-42 (MSBO), SA-42A (MSBO).
    Agency Approval Number: 0607-0195.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Burden: 3,260 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 8,100.
    Avg. Hours Per Response: 24 minutes.
    Needs and Uses: The U.S. Census Bureau is requesting a revision to 
the current Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearance for the 
Annual Trade Survey (ATS). The ATS currently covers only merchant 
wholesale establishments, and will be expanded to include 
manufacturers' sales branches and offices (MSBOs). The survey is an 
official source of annual sales, inventory, and value added measures 
for wholesale establishments located in the United States. The ATS 
provides annual data needed to improve the accuracy of the sales 
estimates and inventory adjustments in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) 
and for benchmarking results of the Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey 
(MWTS) [OMB No. 0607-0190]. Data on MSBOs will address a longstanding 
Bureau of

[[Page 65242]]

Economic Analysis (BEA) priority to obtain annual measures of MSBO 
inventories to improve BEA's estimates of business inventory change, a 
key component of the GDP estimate. The estimates compiled from this 
survey provide valuable information for economic policy decisions by 
the government and will be widely used by private businesses, trade 
organizations, professional associations, and other business research 
and analysis organizations.
    This request is for the clearance of two existing report forms, the 
SA-42 and SA-42A, and two new forms, SA-42 (MSBO) and SA-42A (MSBO), 
which will be used to collect data for MSBOs. The forms request similar 
but unique sets of data items to accommodate both merchant wholesalers 
and manufacturers sales branches and offices as well as both large and 
small firms. The survey report forms are used to collect total sales, 
e-commerce sales, year-end inventory, and inventory valuation methods. 
In addition purchases are collected for merchant wholesalers and 
operating expenses for MSBOs. Cognitive research on the proposed MSBO 
forms is being conducted and will continue in October and November 
2003. Results will be used to suggest revisions to clarify questions 
and instructions that convey definitions, in order to ensure data 
quality and reduce respondent burden. Revisions to the basic content of 
the form are not expected.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C., Sections 182, 224, and 225.
    OMB Desk Officer: Susan Schechter, (202) 395-5103.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance 
Officer, (202) 482-0266, Department of Commerce, room 6625, 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 either by fax (202-395-7245) or e-
mail ([email protected]).

    Dated: November 14, 2003.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 03-28935 Filed 11-18-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P