[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 208 (Monday, November 1, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60293-60295]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-23730]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Bureau of Labor Statistics


Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

AGENCY: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor.

[[Page 60294]]


ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to 
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance 
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be 
provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial 
resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, 
and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be 
properly assessed. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting 
comments concerning the proposed extension of the International Price 
Program (IPP) U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes. A copy of the 
proposed information collection request can be obtained by contacting 
the individual listed below in the Addresses section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
Addresses section of this notice on or before January 3, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Nora Kincaid, BLS Clearance Officer, 
Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 4080, 
2 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20212. Written comments also 
may be transmitted by email to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nora Kincaid, BLS Clearance Officer, 
at 202-691-7628 (this is not a toll free number). (See ADDRESSES 
section.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes, produced by the Bureau of 
Labor Statistics' International Price Program (IPP), measure price 
change over time for all categories of imported and exported products, 
as well as selected services. The IPP has produced the U.S. Import 
Price Indexes (MPI) continuously since 1973 and the U.S. Export Price 
Indexes (XPI) continuously since 1971. The Office of Management and 
Budget has listed the Import and Export Price Indexes (MXPI) as a 
Principal Federal Economic Indicator since 1982. The indexes are widely 
used in both the public and private sectors. The primary public sector 
use is the deflation of the U.S. monthly trade statistics and the 
quarterly estimates of U.S. Gross Domestic Product; the indexes also 
are used in formulating U.S. trade policy and in trade negotiations 
with other countries. In the private sector, uses of the Import Price 
Indexes include market analysis, inflation forecasting, contract 
escalation, and replacement cost accounting.
    The MXPI are closely followed statistics, and are viewed as a key 
indicator of the economic environment. The U.S. Department of Commerce 
uses the monthly statistics to produce monthly and quarterly estimates 
of inflation-adjusted trade flows. Without continuation of data 
collection, it would be extremely difficult to construct accurate 
estimates of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product. In fact, a budget 
proposal to curtail publication of the export price indexes beginning 
in FY15 was met with resistance from the Commerce Department who 
explained that a viable substitute is not available. The Beyond the 
Numbers article ``Analyzing alternatives to export price indexes'' 
(http://www.bls.gov/opub/btn/volume-3/analyzing-alternatives-to-export-price-indexes.htm) explores alternatives to using BLS' export price 
indexes to deflate the U.S. Gross Domestic Product and explains why 
there are currently no comparable replacements.
    Additionally, Federal policymakers in the Department of Treasury, 
the Council of Economic Advisers, and the Federal Reserve Board utilize 
these statistics on a regular basis to improve these agencies' 
formulation and evaluation of monetary and fiscal policy and evaluation 
of the general business environment.

II. Current Action

    Office of Management and Budget clearance is being sought for the 
U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes. The IPP continues to modernize 
data collection and processing to permit more timely release of its 
indexes, and to reduce reporter burden. The IPP has expanded the use of 
its web application, introduced in 2003, and in 2018, it replaced the 
mail out and fax back of paper forms as IPP's primary repricing method. 
The web application allows respondents to update their data online and 
more rapidly than using a paper-based form. As of September 2021, 93 
percent of IPP respondents were providing prices via the web 
application or had agreed to start using this repricing method. 
Respondents who provide price information using non-web options do so 
via non-automated telephone, special arrangements between the analysts 
and respondents, or email.
    The IPP has implemented several systems changes over the years in 
order to reduce burden for web respondents. Most recently, the IPP 
adopted the use of a new web application format/layout (deployed in 
2019). Previously, the web survey used separate pages for each part of 
the repricing process; now, the web application utilizes modal windows 
in combination with separate pages.
    Of particular note, the Program has been conducting research into 
whether administrative trade data can be used in place of directly 
collected price data for more homogenous product areas. As part of this 
effort, IPP published historical research export unit value price 
indexes calculated using trade transaction data. Should IPP's research 
efforts result in the replacement of directly collected data with trade 
data collected by other government agencies, the Program would achieve 
a milestone in burden reduction. More details are available on the MXP 
Research page (https://www.bls.gov/mxp/data/research.htm).

III. Desired Focus of Comments

    The Bureau of Labor Statistics is particularly interested in 
comments that:
     Evaluate 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.
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used.
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected.
     Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submissions of responses.
    Title of Collection: International Price Program (IPP) U.S. Import 
and Export Price Indexes.
    OMB Number: 1220-0025.
    Type of Review: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected Public: Private Sector, Business or other for-profits.

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                                                                                   Average time      Estimated
             Form                   Total          Frequency           Total       per response    total burden
                                 respondents                         responses        (hours)          hours
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Form 3008....................  ..............  Annually.........
    Imports..................           1,300  .................           1,300             1.0           1,300
    Exports..................             900  .................             900             1.0             900
                              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Total................           2,200  .................           2,200  ..............           2,200
Repricing Form...............  ..............  Monthly..........
    Imports..................           2,350  8.9 \1\..........          20,915        \2\.4683           9,794
    Exports..................           1,500  9.1 \1\..........          13,650        \3\.4277           5,838
                              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Total................           3,850  .................          34,565  ..............          15,632
                              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Totals...........  ..............  .................          36,765  ..............          17,832
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\1\ During initiation, the respondent determines how many months he/she will need to supply data in a given year
  based upon how often the company changes its pricing information. The average company is requested to supply
  information 9.1 months per year for exports and 8.9 months per year for imports.
\2\ Time to reprice is based upon 5 minutes of response time per item x 5.620 items = 28.100 minutes/60 = .4683
  hours.
\3\ Time to reprice is based upon 5 minutes of response time per item x 5.132 items = 25.660 minutes/60 = .4277
  hours.

    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget 
approval of the information collection request; they also will become a 
matter of public record.

    Signed at Washington, DC, on this 27th day of October 2021.
Eric Molina,
Acting Chief, Division of Management Systems.
[FR Doc. 2021-23730 Filed 10-29-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-P