[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 212 (Friday, November 1, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 58682]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-23881]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Monthly 
Wholesale Trade Survey

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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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 take this opportunity to comment on a 
proposed extension of the Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey (0607-0190), 
as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on 
or before December 31, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Thomas Smith, PRA Liaison, 
U.S. Census Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill Road, Room 7K250A, Washington, DC 
20233 (or via the internet at [email protected]). You may also submit 
comments, identified by Docket Number USBC-2019-0015, to the Federal e-
Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. All comments received 
are part of the public record. No comments will be posted to http://www.regulations.gov for public viewing until after the comment period 
has closed. Comments will generally be posted without change. All 
Personally Identifiable Information (for example, name and address) 
voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do 
not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or 
protected information. You may submit attachments to electronic 
comments in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Aidan Smith, U.S. Census Bureau, Room 6K081, 
Washington, DC 20233-6500, (301) 763-2972 (or via the internet at 
[email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey (MWTS) provides a continuous 
measure of monthly sales, end-of-month inventories, and inventories/
sales ratios in the United States by selected kinds of business for 
merchant wholesalers, excluding manufacturers' sales branches and 
offices. Estimates from the MWTS are released in three different 
reports each month. High level aggregate estimates for end-of-month 
inventories are first released as part of the Advance Economic 
Indicators Report approximately 25 to 29 calendar days after the close 
of the reference month. The full Monthly Wholesale Trade Report 
containing both sales and inventories estimates is released 
approximately 6 weeks after the close of the reference month. Sales and 
inventories estimates from the MWTS are also released as part of the 
Manufacturing and Trade Inventories and Sales (MTIS) report issued 
approximately 6 weeks after the close of the reference month. The 
Bureau of Economic Analysis uses this information to improve the 
inventory valuation adjustments applied to estimates of the Gross 
Domestic Product. The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses the data as input 
to develop Producer Price Indexes and productivity measurements.
    Estimates produced from the MWTS are based on a probability sample 
and are published on the North American Industry Classification System 
(NAICS) basis. The sample of 4,200 small, medium, and large wholesale 
businesses reports monthly on sales and inventories. The sample is 
drawn from the Business Register, which contains all Employer 
Identification Numbers (EINs) and listed establishment locations. The 
sample is updated quarterly to reflect employer business ``births'' and 
``deaths.'' New employer businesses identified in the Business and 
Professional Classification Survey are added and employer businesses 
determined to be no longer active are removed.

II. Method of Collection

    We contact respondents initially by mailing them the MWTS form. 
Respondents have the option of reporting their data online, returning 
the paper form by fax or mail, or giving data by telephone. After 
initial contact, respondents have a choice to receive future 
correspondence by mailed form, faxed notice, or email. The email and 
faxed notices inform respondents that the online system is open for 
reporting for the specified reference month.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0190.
    Form Number(s): SM4217-A and SM4217-E.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: U.S. merchant wholesale firms, excluding 
manufacturers' sales branches and offices.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 4,200.
    Estimated Time per Response: 7 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 5,880 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0. (This is not the cost of 
respondents' time, but the indirect costs respondents may incur for 
such things as purchases of specialized software or hardware needed to 
report, or expenditures for accounting or records maintenance services 
required specifically by the collection.)
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. Sections 131 and 182.

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 shall 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.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, 
Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2019-23881 Filed 10-31-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-07-P