[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 138 (Thursday, July 18, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58330-58331]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-15755]


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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; Services Surveys: BE-29, Annual Survey of Foreign Ocean 
Carriers' Expenses in the United States

AGENCY: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 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: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before September 16, 
2024.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Christopher Stein, Chief, Services Surveys Branch, Bureau of Economic 
Analysis, by email to [email protected] or [email protected]. 
Please reference OMB Control Number 0608-0012 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 Christopher Stein, Chief, Services Surveys Branch, Bureau of 
Economic Analysis; 301-278-9189; or via email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Annual Survey of Foreign Ocean Carriers' Expenses in the United 
States (BE-29) collects data from U.S. agents of foreign ocean carriers 
that handled 40 or more foreign ocean carrier port calls during the 
year or had total covered expenses of $250,000 or more during the year, 
for all foreign ocean vessels handled by the U.S. agent.
    The data are needed to monitor U.S. trade in transport services, to 
analyze the impact of these cross-border services 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 trade in transport services component of the U.S. 
international transactions accounts (ITAs) and national income and 
product accounts (NIPAs).
    The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) is proposing one change to 
the data items collected on the survey. BEA proposes to modify how the 
data are reported for U.S. expenses of foreign liner (including 
passenger/cruise) ocean carriers in Part III. Currently, for each 
carrier, the reporting agent is required to combine all port call 
activities and report the carrier's combined expenses and shipping 
weights. BEA has found that consolidating the expenses and shipping 
weights by liner is difficult for reporters. Importantly, it is not 
uncommon for reporters to omit some unknown shipping weights during 
consolidation by carrier, which ultimately yields per-ton rates of 
expenses that are artificially too high. In contrast, more complete 
data, including shipping weights, are typically reported for tramp (dry 
bulk) and tanker (liquid bulk) vessel activities in Party II of the 
survey.
    BEA proposes to collect 15 individual sets of port call expenses 
and shipping weights in lieu of consolidated reporting of these data 
for each foreign liner carrier, similar to how data are collected for 
tramp and tanker vessel activity. The information for foreign liner 
carriers would be collected on a new Schedule C of the survey that 
replaces Part III. Additionally, Part II of the survey would be broken 
out into Schedule A (for tramp vessels) and Schedule B (for tanker 
vessels), to collect tramp and tanker separately, but the instructions 
for these responses will not change.
    BEA estimates there will be no change in the average number of 
burden hours per response because the data are already collected as a 
consolidation of port calls, for all liners represented by the 
reporting agent. Reporters would only be required to provide 15 
individual port calls across all carriers they represent, which would 
simplify the reporting in this section of the survey.
    BEA does not plan to change the exemption levels used for the 
current annual survey. BEA estimates there will be no change in the 
average number of burden hours per response. The language in the 
instructions and definitions will be reviewed and adjusted as necessary 
to clarify survey requirements.

II. Method of Collection

    BEA contacts potential respondents by mail at the end of each year. 
Respondents would be required to file the completed BE-29 forms within 
45 days after the end of each calendar year. Reports would be required 
from U.S. agents of foreign ocean carriers that handled 40 or more 
foreign ocean carrier port calls during the year or had covered 
expenses of $250,000 or more during the year for all foreign ocean 
vessels handled by the U.S. agent. Entities required to report will be 
contacted individually by BEA. Entities not contacted by BEA have no 
reporting responsibilities.
    BEA offers its electronic filing option, the eFile system, for use 
in reporting on Form BE-29. For more information about eFile, go to 
www.bea.gov/efile. In addition, BEA posts all its survey forms and 
reporting instructions on its website, www.bea.gov/ssb. These may be 
downloaded, completed, printed, and submitted via fax or mail.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0608-0012.
    Form Number(s): BE-29.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 80 annually (70 reporting 
mandatory data, and 10 that would file exemption claims or voluntary 
responses).
    Estimated Time per Response: 3 hours is the average for those 
reporting mandatory data and one hour is the average for those filing 
an exemption claim or voluntary responses. Hours may vary considerably 
among respondents because of differences in company size and 
complexity.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 220.
    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

[[Page 58331]]

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 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 for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2024-15755 Filed 7-17-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-06-P