[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 135 (Friday, July 13, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41371-41372]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-17138]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Economic Analysis


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Foreign Airline 
Operators' Revenues and Expenses in the United States

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before 5 p.m. September 
11, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230, or via email at 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Direct requests for additional 
information or copies of the survey and instructions to Damon Battaglia 
Special Surveys Branch, Balance of Payments Division, (BE-50), Bureau 
of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 
20230; phone: (202) 606-9826; fax: (202) 606-5318; or via email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    Form BE-9, Foreign Airline Operators' Revenues and Expenses in the 
United States, obtains quarterly data from U.S. offices, agents, or 
other representatives of foreign airline operators that transport 
passengers or freight and express to or from the United States and 
whose covered revenues or total covered expenses were $5,000,000 or 
more during the previous year or are expected to be $5,000,000 or more 
during the current year. The covered revenues are freight revenue on 
merchandise exported from, and imported into, the United States and 
shipping weights on which the freight revenues were earned. The covered 
expenses are expenses incurred in the United States for fuel and oil, 
wages and salaries paid to employees in the United States, agents' and 
brokers' fees and commissions for arrangement of freight and passenger 
transportation, aircraft handling and terminal services, aircraft (with 
crew) leasing expenses, and all other expenses incurred in the United 
States except aircraft leasing (without crew) expenses.
    The data collected are cut-off sample data. The Bureau of Economic 
Analysis (BEA) estimates data for non-respondents.
    The data are needed to monitor U.S. international trade in 
transportation services to analyze its impact on the U.S. and foreign 
economies, to compile and improve the U.S. economic accounts, to 
support U.S. commercial policy on trade in transportation services, to 
conduct trade promotion, and to improve the ability of U.S. businesses 
to identify and evaluate market opportunities.
    Responses will be due within 45 days after the close of each 
calendar quarter. The data from the survey are primarily intended as 
general purpose statistics. They are needed to answer any number of 
research and policy questions related to foreign airline operators' 
revenues and expenses in the United States.
    There are two significant changes to the survey: (1) Two questions 
have been added to collect data on the number of passengers transported 
to/from the United States and the revenues associated with these 
passengers. (2) The due date for the survey has been changed to 45 days 
after the end of the calendar quarter from 50 days after the end of the 
calendar quarter. The remainder of the form is unchanged from the prior 
version. No changes in exemption levels are proposed.

II. Method of Collection

    The surveys are sent to the respondents by U.S. mail; the surveys 
are also available from the BEA Web site. Respondents return the 
surveys one of four ways: U.S. mail, electronically using BEA's 
electronic collection system (eFile), fax, or email.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0608-0068.
    Form Number: BE-9.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 72 per quarter; 288 annually.
    Estimated Time per Response: 6 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,728.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.

    Legal Authority: The International Investment and Trade in 
Services Survey Act, 22 U.S.C. 3101-3108, as amended.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Agency, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.


[[Page 41372]]


    Dated: July 10, 2012.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-17138 Filed 7-12-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-06-P