2011-21091. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).

Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.

Title: Annual Wholesale Trade Survey.

OMB Control Number: 0607-0195.

Form Number(s): Forms SA-42, SA-42A, SA-42(MSBO), SA-42A(MSBO), SA-42(AGBR), SA-42A(AGBR).

Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Burden Hours: 10,442.

Number of Respondents: 8,176.

Average Hours per Response: 1 hour and 16 minutes.

Needs and Uses: The Annual Wholesale Trade Survey (AWTS) covers employer firms with establishments located in the United States and classified in wholesale trade as defined by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). This sector comprises two main types of wholesalers: (1) Merchant wholesalers that sell goods on their own account (including sales offices and sales branches, except retail stores, maintained by manufacturing, refining, or mining enterprises apart from their plants or mines for the purpose of marketing their products) and (2) business to business electronic markets, agents, and brokers that arrange sales for purchases for others generally for a commission or fee.

Respondents are separated into three classifications: (1) Merchant wholesale establishments, excluding manufacturers' sales branches and offices; (2) manufacturers' sales branches and offices; and (3) agents, brokers, and business to business electronic markets. The first classification is asked to provide sales, e-commerce, inventories, method of inventory valuation, inventories held outside the United States, purchases, and operating expenses. The second classification is asked to provide sales, e-commerce, inventories, method of inventory valuation, inventories held outside the United States, and operating expenses. The third classification is asked to provide commissions, sales on their own account, and operating expenses. These data are collected to provide a sound statistical basis for the formation of policy by various government agencies, as well as to serve as a benchmark for the estimates compiled from the Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey (OMB No. 0607-0190). Results will be made available, at the United States summary level, for selected wholesale industries approximately fourteen months after the end of the reference year.

For the 2011 AWTS the Census Bureau will request two years of data to link our old and new samples, ensuring that our published estimates continue to be reliable and accurate. For the 2012 AWTS the Census Bureau will request data on detailed operating expenses. These data items were previously requested under a separate supplemental mailing that was conducted every 5 years. The last supplemental mailing was conducted in conjunction with the 2007 AWTS under OMB No. 0607-0942. While the wholesale portion of that program will be collapsed into the AWTS, we will continue to ask only the additional detailed expense questions every 5 years. These detailed expense questions are only applicable to the merchant wholesale establishments, excluding manufacturers' sales branches and offices. Additionally, the 2012 AWTS will collect data on sales taxes, which is done once every 5 years.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) uses the data to estimate the change in private inventories component of gross domestic product (GDP) and output in both the benchmark and annual input-output (I-O) accounts and GDP by industry. Data on sales taxes, which are collected on this survey quinquennially, are also used to prepare estimates of GDP by industry and to derive industry output for the I-O accounts. Data on detailed operating expenses, which will now be collected on this survey quinquennially, are used to produce national estimates of value added, gross output, and intermediate inputs and serve as a benchmark for the annual industry accounts, which provide the control totals for the GDP-by-state accounts. The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses the data as input to its Producer Price Indexes and in developing productivity measurements. Private businesses use the estimates in computing business activity indexes. Other government agencies and businesses use the data to satisfy a variety of public and business needs such as economic market analysis, company performance, and forecasting future demands.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.

Frequency: Annually.

Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.

Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C., Sections 182, 224, and 225.

OMB Desk Officer: Brian Harris-Kojetin, [phone].

Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained by calling or writing Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, [phone], Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at [e-mail]).

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to Brian Harris-Kojetin, OMB Desk Officer either by fax [phone]) or e-mail ([e-mail]).

Dated: August 15, 2011.

Glenna Mickelson,

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.