31366 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 129 / Thursday, July 5, 2018 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Bureau of Economic Analysis 

Proposed Information Collection; 

Comment Request; Services Surveys: 

BE–45, Quarterly Survey of Insurance 

Transactions by U.S. Insurance 

Companies With Foreign Persons 

AGENCY: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 

Department of Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice. 

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. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

submitted on or before September 4, 

2018. 

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 

PRAcomments@doc.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Request for additional information or 

copies of the information collection 

instrument and instructions should be 

directed to Christopher Stein, Chief, 

Services Surveys Branch BE–50 (SSB), 

Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. 

Department of Commerce, Washington, 

DC 20233; phone: (301) 278–9189; fax: 

(301) 278–9507; or via email at 

christopher.stein@bea.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

The Quarterly Survey of Insurance 

Transactions by U.S. Insurance 

Companies with Foreign Persons (BE– 

45) is one of BEA’s primary data sources 

for its estimates of insurance services 

exports and imports. A U.S. insurance 

company must report if it had 

transactions with foreign persons, in 

any of the data items covered by the 

survey, that exceeded $8 million 

(positive or negative) in the prior 

calendar year or are expected to exceed 

that amount during the current calendar 

year. 

The data are needed to monitor U.S. 

trade in insurance 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 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 insurance 

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 

BE–45 survey to improve the accuracy 

of its quarterly statistics on insurance 

services exports and imports. The 

proposed change is intended to address 

the needs of data users without placing 

undue burden on survey respondents. 

Currently, respondents are required to 

report annual data on primary insurance 

premiums and losses, reinsurance 

losses, and auxiliary insurance services 

receipts and payments on Schedule B of 

the BE–45 survey on a mandatory basis 

in the fourth quarter of the year. 

Reporters have the option of voluntarily 

providing data on reinsurance losses on 

a quarterly basis throughout the year. 

However, the irregular approach to 

collecting the other information on 

Schedule B on an annual basis results 

in frequent reporting errors and data 

omissions, which requires additional 

BEA resources to correct. 

Beginning with reporting for first 

quarter 2019, BEA is proposing to make 

it mandatory for respondents to report 

their primary insurance premiums and 

losses, reinsurance losses, and auxiliary 

insurance services receipts and payment 

on Schedule B every quarter. Many 

reporters already provide loss 

information quarterly, on a voluntary 

basis, since it is readily available in 

their accounting systems. 

For those already providing loss 

information voluntarily—roughly 25 

percent of reporters—we believe there 

will be minimal impact on their 

reporting burden for the additional 

items collected on Schedule B. For 

those not already providing loss 

information voluntarily each quarter, we 

estimate that the quarterly reporting 

burden for this additional detail, and 

the information collected for primary 

and auxiliary insurance, will result in a 

1-hour increase in burden per response, 

from 8 to 9 hours. The total respondent 

burden estimates have been increased to 

reflect this. 

The reporting thresholds of the 

current BE–45 survey will be retained. 

The effort to keep current reporting 

thresholds unchanged is intended to 

minimize respondent burden while 

considering the needs of data users. 

Existing 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 calendar 

quarter. Respondents must file the 

completed BE–45 forms within 60 days 

after the end of each calendar quarter, 

or within 90 days after the close of the 

calendar year. Reports are required from 

each U.S. insurance company whose 

covered transactions with foreign 

persons for any of the data items on the 

survey exceeded $8 million (positive or 

negative) in the prior calendar year, or 

are expected to exceed that amount 

during the current calendar year. 

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–45. For more information 

about eFile, go to www.bea.gov/efile. In 

addition, BEA posts all its survey forms 

and reporting instructions on its 

website, www.bea.gov/ssb. These may 

be downloaded, completed, printed, and 

submitted via fax or mail. 

III. Data 

OMB Control Number: 0608–0066. 

Form Number: BE–45. 

Type of Review: Regular submission. 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations. 

Estimated Number of Responses: 

2,200 annually (550 filed each quarter; 

515 reporting mandatory or voluntary 

data, and 35 that would not report data). 

Estimated Time per Response: 9 hours 

is the average for those reporting data. 

One hour is the average for those filing 

an exemption claim, Hours may vary 

considerably among respondents 

because of differences in company size 

and complexity. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 18,680. 

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 


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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 129 / Thursday, July 5, 2018 / Notices 31367 

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. 

Sheleen Dumas, 

Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of 

Chief Information Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2018–14416 Filed 7–3–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Bureau of Economic Analysis 

Proposed Information Collection; 

Comment Request; Services Surveys: 

BE–30, Quarterly Survey of Ocean 

Freight Revenues and Foreign 

Expenses of U.S. Carriers, and the 

BE–37, Quarterly Survey of U.S. Airline 

Operators’ Foreign Revenues and 

Expenses 

AGENCY: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 

Department of Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice. 

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. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

submitted on or before September 4, 

2018. 

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 

PRAcomments@doc.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information or 

copies of the information collection 

instruments and instructions should be 

directed to Christopher Stein, Chief, 

Services Surveys Branch (SSB) BE–50, 

Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. 

Department of Commerce, Washington, 

DC 20233; phone: (301) 278–9189; fax: 

(301) 278–9507; or via email at 

christopher.stein@bea.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

The Quarterly Survey of Ocean 

Freight Revenues and Foreign Expenses 

of U.S. Carriers (BE–30) is a survey that 

collects data from U.S. ocean freight 

carriers (owners and operators) whose 

total covered revenues or total covered 

expenses incurred outside the United 

States were $500,000 or more in the 

previous year or are expected to be 

$500,000 or more during the current 

year. The covered revenues are: (1) 

Revenue on cargo outbound from U.S. 

ports and the associated shipping 

weight; (2) revenue on cargo inbound 

into the United States and the 

associated shipping weight; (3) revenue 

on cross-trade cargoes; (4) charter hire 

(with crew) and space leasing revenues 

from foreign residents. The covered 

expenses are: (1) Fuel expenses in 

foreign countries; (2) expenses in 

foreign countries other than fuel 

expenses; and (3) charter hire (with 

crew) and space leasing payments to 

foreign residents. A report is not 

required from U.S. ocean freight carriers 

whose total annual covered revenues 

and total annual covered expenses are 

below $500,000. 

The Quarterly Survey of U.S. Airline 

Operators’ Foreign Revenues and 

Expenses (BE–37) is a survey that 

collects data from U.S. airline operators 

engaged in the international 

transportation of goods and/or 

passengers and whose total covered 

revenues or total covered expenses 

incurred outside the United States were 

$500,000 or more in the previous year 

or are expected to be $500,000 or more 

during the current year. The covered 

revenues are: (1) Revenue derived from 

carriage of export freight and express 

from the United States to points outside 

the United States; (2) revenue derived 

from carriage of freight and express 

originating from, and destined to, points 

outside the United States; (3) revenue 

derived from transporting passengers 

originating from, and destined to, points 

outside the United States; (4) revenue 

from transporting passengers to and 

from the United States and the 

associated number of passengers; (5) 

interline settlement receipts from 

foreign airline operators. The covered 

expenses are: (1) Expenses incurred 

outside the United States for fuel and 

oil, station and maintenance bases, 

wages, and other goods and services 

purchased abroad (except aircraft 

leasing expenses); (2) aircraft (with 

crew) leasing expenses; and (3) interline 

settlement payments to foreign airline 

operators. A report is not required from 

U.S. airline operators whose total 

annual covered revenues and total 

annual covered expenses are below 

$500,000. 

The data collected on these surveys 

are needed to monitor U.S. trade in 

transport services to analyze the impact 

of U.S. trade 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 transport component 

of the U.S. international transactions 

accounts (ITAs) and national income 

and product accounts (NIPAs). 

The Bureau of Economic Analysis 

(BEA) is proposing no additions, 

modifications, or deletions to the 

current BE–30 and BE–37 surveys to 

minimize respondent burden while 

considering the needs of data users. 

Existing 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 calendar 

quarter. Respondents must file 

completed BE–30 and BE–37 forms 

within 45 days after the end of each 

calendar quarter. A BE–30 report is 

required from U.S. ocean freight carriers 

(owners and operators) whose total 

covered revenues or total covered 

expenses incurred outside the United 

States were $500,000 or more in the 

previous year or are expected to be 

$500,000 or more during the current 

year. A BE–37 report is required from 

U.S. airline operators engaged in the 

international transportation of goods 

and/or passengers and whose total 

covered revenues or total covered 

expenses incurred outside the United 

States were $500,000 or more in the 

previous year or are expected to be 

$500,000 or more during the current 

year. 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–30 and BE–37 quarterly survey 

forms. For more information about 

eFile, go to www.bea.gov/efile. In 

addition, BEA posts all its survey forms 

and reporting instructions on its 

website, www.bea.gov/ssb. These may 

be downloaded, completed, printed, and 

submitted via fax or mail. 

III. Data 

OMB Control Number: 0608–0011. 

Form Number: BE–30 and BE–37. 


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