Notice2024-15755
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
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
July 18, 2024
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentEconomic Analysis Bureau
Abstract
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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 138 (Thursday, July 18, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 138 (Thursday, July 18, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58330-58331]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[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 <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5a39322833292e352a323f2874292e3f33341a383f3b743d352c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cba8a3b9a2b8bfa4bba3aeb9e5b8bfaea2a58ba9aeaae5aca4bd">[email protected]</span></a> or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7b2b293a181416161e150f083b191e1a551c140d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3e6e6c7f5d5153535b504a4d7e5c5b5f10595148">[email protected]</span></a>.
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
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#dbb8b3a9b2a8afb4abb3bea9f5a8afbeb2b59bb9bebaf5bcb4ad"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8fece7fde6fcfbe0ffe7eafda1fcfbeae6e1cfedeaeea1e8e0f9">[email protected]</span></a>.
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
<a href="http://www.bea.gov/efile">www.bea.gov/efile</a>. In addition, BEA posts all its survey forms and
reporting instructions on its website, <a href="http://www.bea.gov/ssb">www.bea.gov/ssb</a>. 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
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