80 FR 32933 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Direct Investment Surveys: BE-15, Annual Survey of Foreign Direct Investment in the United States

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Bureau of Economic Analysis

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 111 (June 10, 2015)

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 comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 111 (Wednesday, June 10, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32933-32934]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-14188]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Economic Analysis


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Direct 
Investment Surveys: BE-15, Annual Survey of Foreign Direct Investment 
in the United States

AGENCY: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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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 comment on proposed and/or continuing 
information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before August 10, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230, or via email at 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Patricia Abaroa, Chief, Direct Investment Division (BE-
50), Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, 
Washington, DC 20230; phone: (202) 606-9591; 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. In 
addition, several data items are collected by state, including 
employment and property, plant, and equipment.
    No changes to the survey forms or reporting requirements are 
proposed.

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

[[Page 32934]]

will be contacted individually by BEA. 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 all 
its survey forms and reporting instructions on its Web site 
(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 2012 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, as 
described; universe estimates are developed from the reported sample 
data.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0608-0034.
    Form Number: BE-15.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 4,800 annually, of which 
approximately 1,800 file A forms, 1,100 file B forms, 1,400 file C 
forms, and 500 file Claims for Exemption.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 88,625 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 44.5 hours 
for the A form, 4 hours for the B form, 1.75 hours for the C form, and 
1 hour for the Claim for Exemption form.
    Estimated Time per Respondent: 18.5 hours per respondent (88,625 
hours/4,800 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

    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 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 submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: June 5, 2015.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-14188 Filed 6-9-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-06-P