81 FR 12868 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Commodity Flow Survey

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
U.S. Census Bureau

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 48 (March 11, 2016)

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 take this opportunity 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 81, Number 48 (Friday, March 11, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12868-12869]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-05494]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

U.S. Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Commodity Flow 
Survey

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, 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 take this opportunity 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: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on 
or before May 10, 2016.

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 the Internet 
at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to James Hinckley, Census Bureau, Room 6H051, 
Washington, DC 20233 (or via the Internet at 
[email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The Commodity Flow Survey, a component of the 2017 Economic Census, 
is the only comprehensive source of multimodal, system-wide data on the 
volume and pattern of goods movement in the United States. The 
Commodity Flow Survey is conducted in partnership with the Bureau of 
Transportation Statistics, Office of the Assistant Secretary for 
Research and Technology, U.S. Department of Transportation.
    The Commodity Flow Survey data are used by policy makers and 
transportation planners in various federal, state, and local agencies 
to assess the demand for transportation facilities and services, energy 
use, and safety risks and environmental concerns. Additionally, 
business owners, private researchers, and analysts use the Commodity 
Flow Survey data for analyzing trends in the movement of goods, mapping 
spatial patterns of commodity and vehicle flows, forecasting demands 
for the movement of goods, and determining needs for associated 
infrastructure and equipment.
    The survey provides data on the movement of commodities in the 
United States from their origin to destination. The survey produces 
summary statistics on value, tons, ton-miles and average miles by 
commodity, industry, and mode of transportation. The Census Bureau will 
publish these shipment characteristics for the nation, census regions 
and divisions, states, and CFS defined geographical areas.
    Primary strategies for reducing respondent burden in the Commodity 
Flow Survey include: employing a stratified random sample of business 
establishments, requesting data on a limited sample of shipment records 
from each establishment, accepting estimates of shipping activity, and 
providing the opportunity for establishments to report electronically.

II. Method of Collection

    The Commodity Flow Survey will be sent to a sample of business 
establishments in mining, manufacturing, wholesale, and select retail 
and services industries. The survey will also cover auxiliary 
establishments (i.e., warehouses and managing offices) of multi-

[[Page 12869]]

establishment companies. Each selected establishment will receive four 
questionnaires, one during each calendar quarter of 2017. On each 
questionnaire, an establishment will be asked to report data for 
approximately 20-30 shipments for a predefined reporting week. These 
data will include the value, net weight, commodity, and origin and 
destination of each selected shipment. A limited number of 
establishments will be asked to report more than 40 shipments, 
providing better representation of their shipping activity. Respondents 
may report via paper questionnaire or via secure electronic reporting.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0932.
    Form Number: CFS 1000 (2017).
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Business and other for-profit.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 100,000.
    Estimated Time per Response: 2.5 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,000,000.
    Estimated Total Cost: $0.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C., Sections 8(b), 131 and 193; Title 
49 U.S.C., Section 6302.

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 shall 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/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: March 8, 2016.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-05494 Filed 3-10-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-07-P