01-22190. International Services Surveys: BE-48, Annual Survey of Reinsurance and Other Insurance Transactions by U.S. Insurance Companies With Foreign Persons

AGENCY:

Bureau of Economic Analysis, Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice of proposed rulemaking.

SUMMARY:

This notice sets forth proposed rules to amend the reporting requirements for the BE-48, Annual Survey of Reinsurance and Other Insurance Transactions by U.S. Insurance Companies with Foreign Persons.

The BE-48 survey is conducted by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), U.S. Department of Commerce, under the International Investment and Trade in Services Survey Act. The data are needed to support U.S. trade policy initiatives; compile the U.S. international transactions, national income and product, and input-output accounts; assess U.S. competitiveness in international trade in services; and improve the ability of U.S. businesses to identify and evaluate market opportunities.

BEA proposes to raise the exemption level for the BE-48 survey to $2 million in either reinsurance premiums, received or paid; reinsurance losses, paid or recovered; primary insurance premiums received; or primary insurance losses paid, from $1 million on the previous (2000) survey. Raising the exemption level will reduce respondent burden, particularly for small companies.

DATES:

Comments on these proposed rules will receive consideration if submitted in writing on or before November 5, 2001.

ADDRESSES:

Mail comments to the Office of the Chief, International Investment Division (BE-50), Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington DC 20230, or hand delivered to room M-100, 1441 L Street, NW., Washington, DC 20005. Comments will be available for public inspection in room 7005, 1441 L Street, NW., between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

R. David Belli, Chief, International Investment Division (BE-50), Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230; phone [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

These proposed rules amend 15 CFR part 801 by revising § 801.9(b)(4)(ii) to set forth revised reporting requirements for the BE-48, Annual Survey of Reinsurance and Other Insurance Transactions by U.S. Insurance Companies with Foreign Persons. The survey is conducted by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), U.S. Department of Commerce, under the International Investment and Trade in Services Survey Act (Pub.L. 94-472, 90 Stat. 2059, 22 U.S.C. 3101-3108, as amended). Section 3103(a) of the Act provides that “The President shall, to the extent he deems necessary and feasible— * * * (1) conduct a regular data collection program to secure current information * * *related to international investment and trade in services * * *” In Section 3 of Executive Order 11961, as amended by Executive Order 12518, the President delegated the authority under the Act as concerns international trade in services to the Secretary of Commerce, who has redelegated it to BEA.

The BE-48 is an annual survey of U.S. reinsurance and other insurance transactions with unaffiliated foreign persons. The data are needed to support U.S. trade policy initiatives; compile the U.S. international transactions, national income and product, and input-output accounts; assess U.S. competitiveness in international trade in services; and improve the ability of U.S. businesses to identify and evaluate market opportunities.

Under the proposed rule, reporting in the BE-48 annual survey would be required from all U.S. persons whose reinsurance premiums, received or paid; reinsurance losses, paid or recovered; primary insurance premiums received; or primary insurance losses paid exceeded $2 million during the reporting year. The proposed exemption level is an increase from the current level of $1 million. The increase is intended to reduce respondent burden, particularly for small companies. The data collected on the BE-48 are disaggregated by country and by type of insurance transaction.

Executive Order 12866

These proposed rules are not significant for purposes of E.O. 12866.

Executive Order 13132

These proposed rules do not contain policies with Federalism implications sufficient to warrant preparation of a Federalism assessment under E.O. 13132.

Paperwork Reduction Act

These proposed rules contain a collection of information requirement subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act. A request for review of the forms has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget under section 3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act unless that collection displays a currently valid OMB Control Number.

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to vary from less than one hour to 20 hours, with an overall average burden of 4 hours. This includes time for reviewing the instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

Comments are requested concerning: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments should be addressed to: Director, Bureau of Economic Analysis (BE-1), U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230; and to the Office of Management and Budget, O.I.R.A., Paperwork Reduction Project 0608-0016, Washington, DC 20503 (Attention PRA Desk Officer for BEA).

Regulatory Flexibility Act

The Chief Counsel for Regulation, Department of Commerce, has certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy, Small Business Administration, under the provisions of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 605(b)), that this proposed rulemaking, if adopted, will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. While the survey does not collect data on total sales or other measures of the overall size of businesses that respond to the survey, historically the respondent universe has been comprised mainly of major U.S. corporations. With the proposed increase in the exemption level for the survey from $1 million to $2 million in covered receipts or payments, even fewer small businesses can be expected to be subject to reporting than in the past. Of those smaller businesses that must report, most will tend to have specialized operations and activities and thus will be likely to report only one type of insurance transaction, often limited to transactions with a single partner country; therefore, the burden on them can be expected to be small.

List of Subjects in 15 CFR Part 801

• Balance of payments
• Economic statistics
• Foreign trade
• Penalties
• Reporting and recordkeeping requirements

Dated: June 4, 2001.

J. Steven Landefeld,

Director, Bureau of Economic Analysis.

For the reasons set forth in the preamble, BEA proposes to amend 15 CFR Part 801, as follows:

PART 801—SURVEY OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN SERVICES BETWEEN U.S. AND FOREIGN PERSONS

1. The authority citation for 15 CFR part 801 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301, 15 U.S.C. 4908, 22 U.S.C. 3101-3108, and E.O. 11961 (3 CFR, 1977 Comp., p. 860 as amended by E.O. 12013 (3 CFR, 1977 Comp., p. 147), E.O. 12318 (3 CFR, 1981 Comp., p. 173), and E.O. 12518 (3 CFR, 1985 Comp., p. 348).

2. Section 801.9 is amended by revising paragraph (b)(4)(ii) to read as follows:

§ 801.9

Reports required.

* * * * *

(b) * * *

(4) * * *

(ii) Exemption. A U.S. person otherwise required to report is exempt if , with respect to transactions with foreign persons, each of the following six items were $2 million or less in the reporting period: Reinsurance premiums received, reinsurance premiums paid, reinsurance losses paid, reinsurance losses recovered, primary insurance premiums received, and primary insurance losses paid. If any one of these items is greater than $2 million in the reporting period, a report must be filed.

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