24914 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 83 / Friday, April 28, 2000 / Notices

countries. Similarly, under this MOU,

Canada is substituting U.S. import

statistics for Canadian exports to the

United States. These data exchanges

eliminate the requirement for U.S.

exporters to file any information with

the U.S. government. This results in the

elimination of over four million SEDs

annually. However, for exports to

Canada that require a license, a SED or

AES record must be filed. Also, a SED

or AES record is required for exports

from the United States through Canada

destined to a country other than Canada.

In addition, the Census Bureau and

Customs are continuing to implement

and expand the use of the AES for filing

shipper’s export information

electronically. The AES provides a

voluntary automated alternative to filing

the paper SED. Extensive outreach and

education efforts have been and

continue to be made to encourage the

trade community to use the AES for

filing its export data. The Census

Bureau has implemented the AESDirect

system to allow AES filers to file their

export information directly to AES via

the Internet. The Census Bureau

anticipates a gradual and progressive

growth in the number of electronic

filers, with a comparable decrease in the

number of paper filers over the course

of the next few years.

During the past several years the

Census Bureau and Customs have also

been involved in an intensive outreach

and education program to improve

compliance with Customs and Census

Bureau regulatory provisions in

reference to filing Customs manifest

documents and the Census Bureau SED/

AES documents/records. During these

compliance programs, the Census

Bureau and Customs conducted

seminars with the trade community to

inform them of the regulatory filing

requirements. In addition, Customs has

also increased its enforcement effort for

those filers not in compliance with the

export laws and regulations. This

compliance effort, in addition to the

outreach and education effort

encouraging the use of electronic filing

through the AES has led to a significant

increase in both paper and electronic

filings. Also, with the expansion of the

global economy and the increased

emphasis on international trade, the

Census Bureau has experienced a

significant increase in the number of

export transactions being filed. For

example, in 1993 the Census Bureau

received 1.1 million transactions per

month. In 1999 the Census Bureau

received 1.7 million transactions per

month. This represents an increase of 55

percent in the number of monthly

transactions processed by the Census

Bureau. The Census Bureau expects this

trend to continue for the next several

years. All these factors combined, have

resulted in an increase in our estimate

of annual responses from the previous

submission.

In summary, for non-Canadian

exports, approximately 55 percent of

export transactions are reported

electronically using the AES, and

approximately 45 percent of export

transactions are reported using the

paper SEDs. The Census Bureau expects

the percentage of electronic filings

through the AES to substantially

increase during the next several years.

III. Data

OMB Number: 0607–0152.

Form Number: 7525–V, 7525–V–

Alternate (Intermodal), Automated

Export System (AES) submissions.

Type of Review: Regular Submission.

Affected Public: Exporters,

Forwarding Agents, Export Carriers.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

200,000.

Estimated Number of Responses:

13,449,996..

Estimated Time Per Response: 11.166

minutes for 7525–V, 7525–V–Alternate

3.0 minutes for AES submissions.

Estimated Total Annual Burden

Hours: 1,284,949.

SEDs, 837,450.

AES, 447,499.

Estimated Total Annual Cost:

$19,274,235.

SEDs—837,450 hrs @ $15/hr =

$12,561,750.

AES—447,499 hrs @ $15/hr =

$6,712,485.

Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory.

Legal Authority: Title 13, United

States Code, Chapter 9.

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: April 25, 2000.

Madeleine Clayton,

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief

Information Officer.

[FR Doc. 00–10650 Filed 4–27–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–07–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau

Manufacturers’ Shipments,

Inventories, and Orders (M3) Survey

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment

request.

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: Written comments must be

submitted on or before June 27, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments

to Linda Engelmeier, Departmental

Forms Clearance Officer, Department of

Commerce, Room 5033, 14th and

Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington,

DC 20230 (or via the Internet at

LEngelme@doc.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or

copies of the information collection

instrument and instructions should be

directed to Lee Wentela, Bureau of the

Census, FOB #4 Room 2232,

Washington, DC 20233–6913 and (301)

457–4832.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

The Census Bureau plans to submit

the Manufacturers’ Shipments,

Inventories, and Orders (M3) survey to

the Office of Management and Budget

for review. The M3 requests data from

domestic manufacturers on form M–

3(SD). The survey is mailed at the end

of each month. Data requested are

shipments, new orders, unfilled orders,

total inventory, materials and supplies,

work-in-process, and finished goods. It

is currently the only survey that

provides broad-based monthly statistical

data on the economic conditions in the

domestic manufacturing sector.

The M3 survey is designed to measure

current industrial activity and to

provide an indication of future

production commitments. The value of

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 83 / Friday, April 28, 2000 / Notices 24915

shipments measures the value of goods

delivered during the month by domestic

manufacturers. Estimates of new orders

serve as an indicator of future

production commitments and represent

the current sales value of new orders

received during the month, net of

cancellations. Substantial accumulation

or depletion of unfilled orders measures

excess or deficient demand for

manufactured products. The level of

inventories, especially in relation to

shipments, is frequently used to monitor

the business cycle.

The estimated total annual burden

hours are increased from 20,600 to

24,000 to reflect an increase in the

survey panel. The conversion of the

survey from the Standard Industrial

Classification system to the North

American Industry Classification

System will result in new and

reconfigured industry categories, which

require a larger survey panel to ensure

sufficient coverage in all industries.

II. Method of Collection

Respondents submit data on form M–

3(SD) via mail, facsimile machine,

Touchtone Data Entry (TDE), Voice

Recognition Entry (VRE), or via the

Internet. Analysts call respondents who

usually report, to obtain data in time for

preparing the monthly estimates.

III. Data

OMB Number: 0607–0008.

Form Number: M–3(SD).

Type of Review: Regular.

Affected Public: Businesses, large and

small, or other for profit organizations.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

6,000 monthly.

Estimated Time Per Response: 20

minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden

Hours: 24,000.

Estimated Total Annual Cost:

$436,800.

Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary.

Legal Authority: Title 13 USC,

Sections 131 and 182.

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: April 25, 2000.

Madeleine Clayton,

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief

Information Officer.

[FR Doc. 00–10651 Filed 4–27–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–07–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau

Census 2000 Evaluation Followup

Interview

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment

request.

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: Written comments must be

submitted on or before June 27, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments

to Linda Engelmeier, Departmental

Forms Clearance Officer, Department of

Commerce, Room 5033, 14th and

Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington,

DC 20230 (or via the Internet at

LEngelme@doc.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or

copies of the information collection

instrument(s) and instructions should

be directed to Dave Raglin, Bureau of

the Census, Room BH–121/SFC2,

Washington, DC 20233–9200, 301–457–

4238.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

The U.S. Bureau of the Census will

conduct an Accuracy and Coverage

Evaluation as a quality assurance

program to measure coverage of the

population in the decennial census. In

the Accuracy and Coverage Evaluation,

we independently count a sample of

housing units and the people living in

those units, then compare those results

to the census.

The U.S. Bureau of the Census would

like to determine the magnitude of and

sources of measurement errors in the

residence classification of persons in the

Accuracy and Coverage Evaluation. To

do this the Census Bureau plans to

conduct the Evaluation Followup

Interview (EFU), a follow-up interview

of a subsample of Accuracy and

Coverage Evaluation clusters. The types

of information collected during the

interview will help determine whether

or not a person mentioned in the Census

or in the Accuracy and Coverage

Evaluation Person Interview lived in the

housing unit on census day (Saturday

April 1, 2000) or on the Accuracy and

Coverage Evaluation interview day

(sometime between late-April and midAugust, 2000). The information will also

help identify possible reasons a person

was missed or enumerated in error in

the Census or the Accuracy and

Coverage Evaluation. This is

accomplished by asking the respondent

more specific questions than the

Accuracy and Coverage Evaluation

about specific types of group quarters or

other residences a person may have

lived at, and by determining if persons

have moved in and moved out of a

household. The interview will be

conducted using the Evaluation

Followup Questionnaires, forms D–

1301(EFU), the English language version

and D–1301(EFU–S), the Spanish

language version of the form. The data

from the EFU will be used for four

Census evaluations.

II. Method of Collection

Person interview.

III. Data

OMB Number: Not available.

Form Number: D–1301(EFU), D–

1301(EFU–S)

Type of Review: Regular.

Affected Public: Individuals or

households.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

40,000 Housing units.

Estimated Time Per Response: 20

minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden

Hours: 13,333 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Cost: There is

no cost to the respondent other than the

time to provide the requested

information.

Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory.

Legal Authority: Title 13, United

States Code, Sections 141, 193, and 221.

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