[Federal Register: November 18, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 222)]
[Notices]
[Page 65031-65032]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18no03-34]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Bureau of Economic Analysis
Data Sharing Activity
AGENCY: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of determination.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) will provide to the
Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) data collected from the Benchmark
Survey of Foreign Direct Investment in the United States--1997 and the
Benchmark Survey of U.S. Direct Investment Abroad--1999 for statistical
purposes exclusively. In accordance with the requirement of Section
524(d) of the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical
Efficiency Act of 2002 (CIPSEA), we provided the opportunity for public
comment on this data-sharing action (see the July 7, 2003 edition of
the Federal Register (68 FR 40241)). Through the use of these shared
data, the Census Bureau will augment its existing research and
development (R&D)-related data collected in the Survey of Industrial
Research and Development, which is funded by the National Science
Foundation (NSF). The Census Bureau will also identify data quality
issues arising from reporting differences in the BEA and Census Bureau
surveys and improve its survey sample frames. The NSF will be provided
non-confidential aggregate public use data and reports that have
cleared BEA and Census Bureau disclosure review. Disclosure review is a
process conducted to verify that the data to be released do not reveal
any confidential information.
DATES: BEA will make the data collected from the Benchmark Survey of
Foreign Direct Investment in the United States--1997 and the Benchmark
Survey of U.S. Direct Investment Abroad--1999 available to the Census
Bureau on November 18, 2003.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information on
this program should be directed to Ned Howenstine, Chief, Research
Branch, International Investment Division, Bureau of Economic Analysis
(BE-50), Washington, DC 20230, by phone on (202) 606-9845 or by fax
(202) 606-5318.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
CIPSEA (Pub. L. 107-347, Title V) and the International Investment
and Trade in Services Survey Act (Pub. L. 94-472, 22 United States Code
(U.S.C.) 3101-3108) allow BEA and the Census Bureau to share certain
business data for statistical purposes exclusively. Section 524(d) of
the CIPSEA required a Federal Register notice announcing the intent to
share data (allowing 60 days for public comment).
On July 7, 2003 (68 FR 40241), BEA published in the Federal
Register a notice of this proposed data-sharing activity and request
for comment on the subject. BEA did not receive any public comments.
Shared Data
BEA will provide the Census Bureau with data collected from the
Benchmark Survey of Foreign Direct Investment in the United States--
1997 and the Benchmark Survey of U.S. Direct Investment Abroad--1999.
The Census Bureau also will share data from the 1997 and 1999 Surveys
of Industrial Research and Development with BEA. The Census Bureau
issued separate notices addressing this issue (68 FR 33094, June 2,
2003 and 68 FR 54201, September 16, 2003).
BEA will provide the Census Bureau with only those data items
necessary to link records from the two benchmark surveys with records
from the Census Bureau's Surveys of Industrial Research and
Development. The Census Bureau will use these data for statistical
purposes exclusively. Through record linkage, the Census Bureau will
[[Page 65032]]
augment its existing R&D-related data, identify data quality issues
arising from reporting differences in the Census Bureau and BEA
surveys, and improve its survey sample frames.
Statistical Purposes for the Shared Data
The data collected from the Benchmark Survey of Foreign Direct
Investment in the United States--1997 and the Benchmark Survey of U.S.
Direct Investment Abroad--1999 are used to estimate expenditures on
research and development performed by U.S. affiliates of foreign
companies and U.S. parent companies, R&D employment, and other
statistics on the financial structure and operations of these
companies. Statistics from the Benchmark Survey of Foreign Direct
Investment in the United States--1997 were published in Foreign Direct
Investment in the United States: Final Results From the 1997 Benchmark
Survey; statistics from the Benchmark Survey of U.S. Direct Investment
Abroad--1999 will be published in U.S. Direct Investment Abroad: Final
Results From the 1999 Benchmark Survey (forthcoming). All data are
collected under sections 3101-3108, of Title 22 U.S.C.
Data Access and Confidentiality
Title 22, U.S.C. 3104 protects the confidentiality of these data.
These data may be seen only by persons sworn to uphold the
confidentiality of the information. Access to the shared data will be
restricted to specifically authorized personnel and will be provided
for statistical purposes only. Any results of this research are subject
to BEA disclosure protection. All Census Bureau employees with access
to these data will become BEA Special Sworn Employees--meaning that
they, under penalty of law, must uphold the data's confidentiality.
Selected NSF employees will provide BEA with expertise on the aspects
of R&D performance in the United States and by U.S. companies abroad;
these NSF consultants assisting with the work at the BEA also will
become BEA Special Sworn Employees. No confidential data will be
provided to the NSF. To further safeguard the confidentiality of these
data, BEA will conduct an Information Technology security review of the
Census Bureau prior to the commencement of the project. Any results of
this research are subject to BEA disclosure protection.
Dated: November 4, 2003.
J. Steven Landefeld,
Director, Bureau of Economic Analysis.
[FR Doc. 03-28612 Filed 11-17-03; 8:45 am]
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