[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 152 (Wednesday, August 9, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53862-53863]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-17022]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Economic Analysis


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Direct Investment Surveys: BE-15, Annual Survey of Foreign 
Direct Investment in the United States

AGENCY: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information 
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment 
preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before October 10, 
2023.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Kirsten Brew, Chief, Multinational Operations Branch (BE-69), Bureau of 
Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, by email to 
[email protected] and [email protected]. Please reference OMB 
Control Number 0608-0034 in the subject line of your comments. Do not 
submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or 
protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to Kirsten Brew, Chief, Multinational Operations Branch (BE-69), Bureau 
of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce; via phone at (301) 
278-9152; or via email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Annual Survey of Foreign Direct Investment in the United States 
(BE-15) obtains sample data on the financial structure and operations 
of foreign-owned U.S. business enterprises. The data are needed to 
provide reliable, useful, and timely measures of foreign direct 
investment in the United States to assess its impact on the U.S. 
economy. The sample data are used to derive universe estimates in 
nonbenchmark years from similar data reported in the BE-12 benchmark 
survey, which is conducted every five years. The data collected include 
balance sheets; income statements; property, plant, and equipment; 
employment and employee compensation; merchandise trade; sales of goods 
and services; taxes; and research and development activity for the U.S. 
operations. In addition to these national data, several data items are 
collected by state, including employment and property, plant, and 
equipment.
    The survey, as proposed, incorporates the following change that was 
made to the 2022 BE-12, Benchmark Survey of Foreign Direct Investment 
in the United States:
    (a) The expensed petroleum and mining expenditures item will be 
removed from the BE-15A form. The item is not a good fit conceptually 
as a component of property, plant, and equipment (capital) 
expenditures.

II. Method of Collection

    BEA contacts potential respondents by mail in March of each year; 
responses covering a reporting company's fiscal year ending during the 
previous calendar year are due by May 31 (or by June 30 for respondents 
that file using BEA's eFile system). Reports are required from each 
U.S. business enterprise in which a foreign person has at least 10 
percent of the voting stock in an incorporated business enterprise, or 
an equivalent interest in an unincorporated business enterprise, and 
that meets the additional conditions detailed in the BE-15 forms and 
instructions. Entities required to report will be contacted 
individually by BEA.

[[Page 53863]]

Entities not contacted by BEA have no reporting responsibilities.
    BEA offers electronic filing through its eFile system for use in 
reporting on the BE-15 annual survey forms. In addition, BEA posts its 
survey forms and reporting instructions on its website (www.bea.gov/fdi). These may be downloaded, completed, printed, and submitted via 
fax or mail.
    Potential respondents of the BE-15 are selected from those U.S. 
business enterprises that were required to report on the 2022 BE-12, 
Benchmark Survey of Foreign Direct Investment in the United States, 
along with those U.S. business enterprises that subsequently entered 
the direct investment universe. The BE-15 is a sample survey; universe 
estimates are developed from the reported sample data.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0608-0034.
    Form Number: BE-15.
    Type of Review: Revision.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 6,550 annually, of which 
approximately 3,350 file A forms, 1,700 file B forms, 1,000 file C 
forms, and 500 file Claim for Exemption forms.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 159,038 hours. Total annual 
burden is calculated by multiplying the estimated number of submissions 
of each form by the average hourly burden per form, which is 44.75 
hours for the A form, 3.75 hours for the B form, 2.25 hours for the C 
form, and 1 hour for the Claim for Exemption form.
    Estimated Time per Respondent: 24.3 hours per respondent (159,038 
hours/6,550 respondents) is the average but may vary considerably among 
respondents because of differences in company size and complexity.
    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

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department of 
Commerce/Bureau of Economic Analysis to: (a) Evaluate whether the 
proposed information collection is necessary for the proper functions 
of the Department, including whether the information will have 
practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the 
time and cost burden for this proposed collection, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) Evaluate ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden on those who are to 
respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request 
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including 
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available 
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary of 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2023-17022 Filed 8-8-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-06-P