80 FR 32934 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Direct Investment Surveys: BE-11, Annual Survey of U.S. Direct Investment Abroad

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 32934-32935]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-14148]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Economic Analysis


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Direct 
Investment Surveys: BE-11, Annual Survey of U.S. Direct Investment 
Abroad

AGENCY: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of 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 U.S. Direct Investment Abroad (BE-11) obtains 
sample data on the financial structure and operations of U.S. parents 
and their foreign affiliates. The data are needed to provide reliable, 
useful, and timely measures of U.S. direct investment abroad to assess 
its impact on the U.S. and foreign economies. The sample data are used 
to derive universe estimates in nonbenchmark years from similar data 
reported in the BE-10, Benchmark Survey of U.S. Direct Investment 
Abroad, 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.
    The survey, as proposed, incorporates two changes that were made to 
the 2014 BE-10, Benchmark Survey of U.S. Direct Investment Abroad, and 
five new proposed changes. The following two questions that were added 
to the 2014 benchmark survey will be added to the BE-11 survey: (1) A 
question to collect the city in which each foreign affiliate is 
located; and (2) for majority-owned foreign affiliates with assets, 
sales, or net income greater than $300 million, a question to collect 
data on cash and cash equivalents on the balance sheet. Other proposed 
changes are: (1) Two items will be added to the balance sheet section 
for the U.S. reporter: (i) Equity investments in foreign affiliates, 
and (ii) all other assets; (2) a question will be added to collect the 
form of organization of the U.S. reporter; (3) a question will be added 
to collect expenditures for research and development performed by new 
foreign affiliates with assets, sales, or net income between $25 
million and $60 million; (4) a question will be added to the Claim for 
Not Filing form to collect the names and BEA ID numbers of any foreign 
affiliates for which BEA requested a filing but which did not meet the 
filing criteria; and (5) the BE-11E (abbreviated) sample form for 
foreign affiliates will be eliminated. The exemption level for 
reporting on the proposed survey is unchanged from the 2013 BE-11 
survey.

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. Reports are required from 
each U.S. person that has a direct and/or indirect ownership interest 
of at least 10 percent of the voting stock in an incorporated foreign 
business enterprise, or an equivalent interest in an unincorporated 
foreign business enterprise, and that

[[Page 32935]]

meets the additional conditions detailed in the BE-11 forms and 
instructions. Entities required to report 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-11 annual survey forms. In addition, BEA posts all 
its survey forms and reporting instructions on its Web site 
(www.bea.gov/dia). These may be downloaded, completed, printed, and 
submitted via fax or mail.
    Potential respondents of the BE-11 are selected from those U.S. 
parents that reported owning foreign business enterprises in the 2014 
BE-10, Benchmark Survey of U.S. Direct Investment Abroad, along with 
entities that subsequently entered the direct investment universe. The 
BE-11 is a sample survey, as described; universe estimates are 
developed from the reported sample data.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0608-0053.
    Form Number: BE-11.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,900 U.S. parents filing for 
their U.S. operations on the A form, for 21,800 foreign affiliates, 
which include 20,500 B forms, 1,150 C forms, 150 D forms, and 500 Claim 
for Exemption forms for U.S. operations or foreign affiliates.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 262,250 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 7 hours 
for the A form, 12 hours for the B form, 2 hours for the C form, 1 hour 
for the D form, and 1 hour for the Claim for Exemption forms.
    Estimated Time per Respondent: 138.0 hours per respondent (262,250 
hours/1,900 U.S. parents) is the average, but may vary considerably 
among respondents because of differences in company structure, 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. 2015-14148 Filed 6-9-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-06-P