[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 171 (Thursday, September 3, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53279-53280]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21875]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Economic Analysis


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Services 
Surveys: BE-9, Quarterly Survey of Foreign Airline Operators' Revenues 
and Expenses in the United States

AGENCY: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce.

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, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before November 2, 
2015.

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: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Christopher Stein, Chief, Services Surveys Branch (SSB) 
BE-50, Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, 
Washington, DC 20230; phone: (202) 606-9850; fax: (202) 606-5318; 
email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The Quarterly Survey of Foreign Airline Operators' Revenues and 
Expenses in the United States (BE-9) is a survey that collects data 
from U.S. offices, agents, or other representatives of foreign airline 
operators that transport freight, express, and passengers to or from 
the United States and whose total covered revenues or total covered 
expenses were $5 million or more in the previous year or are expected 
to be $5 million or more

[[Page 53280]]

during the current year. The covered revenues are freight revenue on 
merchandise exported from, or imported into, the United States. The 
covered expenses are expenses incurred in the United States for: (1) 
Fuel and oil; (2) wages and salaries paid to employees in the United 
States; (3) agents' and brokers' fees and commissions for arrangement 
of freight and passenger transportation; (4) aircraft handling and 
terminal services, aircraft (with crew) leasing expenses; and 5) all 
other expenses incurred in the United States except leasing (without 
crew) expenses.
    Respondents are also asked to report: (1) Shipping weights on which 
freight revenues were earned; (2) the number of passengers transported 
to/from the United States; and (3) revenues associated with these 
passengers.
    The data collected on the survey are needed to monitor U.S. trade 
in transport services to analyze the impact of U.S. trade 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 transport 
services, to conduct trade promotion, and to improve the ability of 
U.S. businesses to identify and evaluate market opportunities. The data 
are used in estimating the transport component of the U.S. 
international transactions accounts (ITAs) and national income and 
product accounts (NIPAs).
    The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) is proposing minor additions 
and modifications to the current BE-9 survey to minimize respondent 
burden while considering the needs of data users. Existing language in 
the instructions and definitions will be reviewed and adjusted as 
necessary to clarify survey requirements.

II. Method of Collection

    Form BE-9 is a quarterly report that must be completed within 45 
days after the end of each calendar quarter. BEA contacts potential 
respondents by mail the end of each calendar quarter. Entities required 
to report will be contacted individually by BEA. Entities not contacted 
by BEA have no reporting responsibilities.
    BEA offers electronic filing through its eFile system for use in 
reporting on the BE-9 quarterly survey form. For information about 
eFile, go to www.bea.gov/efile. In addition, BEA posts all its survey 
forms and reporting instructions on its Web site, www.bea.gov/ssb. 
These may be downloaded, completed, printed, and submitted via fax or 
mail.

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 Responses: 184 annually (46 filed each quarter: 
180 reporting mandatory data and 4 exemption claims).
    Estimated Time per Response: 6 hours is the average for those 
reporting data. 1 hour is the average for those not reporting data. 
Hours may vary considerably among respondents because of differences in 
company size and complexity.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,084.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: International Investment and Trade in Services 
Survey Act (Pub. L. 94-472, 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.

    Dated: August 28, 2015.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-21875 Filed 9-2-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-06-P