[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 60 (Thursday, March 27, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16262-16263]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-6258]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit 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(06).
    OMB Control Number: 0607-0190.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Burden Hours: 6,300.
    Number of Respondents: 4,500.
    Average Hours Per Response: 7 minutes.
    Needs and Uses: The Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey (MWTS) canvasses 
firms primarily engaged in merchant wholesale trade, excluding 
manufacturers' sales branches and offices (MSBOs) that are located in 
the United States. This survey provides the only continuous measure of 
monthly wholesale sales, end-of-month inventories, 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.
    As one of the U.S. Census Bureau's thirteen principal economic 
indicators, 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, excluding MSBOs, 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 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 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).
    Census publish wholesale sales and inventory estimates based on the 
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) which has been 
widely adopted throughout both the public and private sectors.
    The Census Bureau tabulates the collected data to provide, with 
measurable reliability, statistics on sales, end-of-month inventories, 
and inventories/sales ratios for merchant wholesalers, excluding MSBOs.
    The BEA is the primary Federal user of data collected in the MWTS. 
The BEA uses this information on methods of valuation and changes in 
these methods to improve the inventory valuation adjustments applied to 
estimates of the GDP.
    The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses the data as input to its 
Producer Price Indexes and in developing productivity measurements. 
Private businesses use the wholesale sales and inventory data in 
computing business activity indexes. Other government agencies and 
businesses use this information for market research, product 
development, and business planning to gauge the current trends of the 
economy.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Frequency: Monthly.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C., Section 182.
    OMB Desk Officer: Brian Harris-Kojetin, (202) 395-7314.
    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]).

[[Page 16263]]

    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to Brian Harris-Kojetin, OMB Desk Officer either by fax (202-395-7245) 
or e-mail ([email protected]).

    Dated: March 24, 2008.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
 [FR Doc. E8-6258 Filed 3-26-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P