[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 15, Volume 3]
[Revised as of January 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 15CFR806.14]

[Page 23-26]
 
                  TITLE 15--COMMERCE AND FOREIGN TRADE
 
    CHAPTER VIII--BUREAU OF ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
 
PART 806_DIRECT INVESTMENT SURVEYS--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 806.14  U.S. direct investment abroad.

    (a) Specific definitions--(1) U.S. direct investment abroad means 
the ownership or control, directly or indirectly, by one U.S. person of 
10 per centum or more of the voting securities of an incorporated 
foreign business enterprise or an equivalent interest in an 
unincorporated foreign business enterprise, including a branch.
    (2) U.S. Reporter means the U.S. person which has direct investment 
in a foreign business enterprise, including a branch. If the U.S. person 
is an incorporated business enterprise, the U.S. Reporter is the fully 
consolidated U.S. domestic enterprise consisting of (i) the U.S. 
corporation whose voting securities are not owned more than 50 percent 
by another U.S. corporation,

[[Page 24]]

and (ii) proceeding down each ownership chain from that U.S. 
corporation, any U.S. corporation (including Domestic International 
Sales Corporations) whose voting securities are more than 50 percent 
owned by the U.S. corporation above it.
    (3) Foreign affiliate means an affiliate located outside the United 
States in which a U.S. person has direct investment.
    (4) Majority-owned foreign affiliate means a foreign affiliate in 
which the combined ``direct investment interest'' of all U.S. Reporters 
of the affiliate exceeds 50 per centum.
    (b) Foreign affiliate consolidation. In cases where the 
recordkeeping system of foreign affiliates makes it impossible or 
extremely difficult to file a separate report for each foreign 
affiliate, a U.S. Reporter may consolidate affiliates in the same 
country when the following conditions apply:
    (1) The affiliates are in the same BEA 3-digit industry as defined 
in the industry Classifications and Export and Import Trade 
Classifications Booklet; or
    (2) The affiliates are integral parts of the same business 
operation. For example, if German affiliate A manufactures tires and a 
majority of its sales are to German affiliate B which produces autos, 
then affiliates A and B may be consolidated.


Any affiliates consolidated shall thereafter be considered to be one 
affiliate and should be consolidated in the same manner for all reports 
required to be filed pursuant to this section.
    (c) Reports required. The place and time for filing, and specific 
instructions and definitions relating to, a given report form are given 
on the form. Reports are required even though a foreign affiliate may 
have been established, acquired, seized, liquidated, sold, expropriated, 
or inactivated during the reporting period.
    (d) Exemption levels. Exemption levels for individual report forms 
will normally be stated in terms of total assets, net sales or gross 
operating revenues excluding sales taxes, and net income after income 
taxes, whether positive or negative, although different or special 
criteria may be specified for a given report form. If any one of the 
three items exceeds the exemption level and if the statistical data 
requested in the report are applicable to the entity being reported, 
then a report must be filed. Since these items may not have to be 
reported on a given form, a U.S. Reporter claiming exemption from filing 
a given form must furnish a certification as to the levels of the items 
on which the exemption is based or must certify that the data requested 
are not applicable. The exemption-level tests shall be applied as 
outlined below.
    (1) For quarterly report forms, as to the assets test reports are 
required beginning with the quarter in which total assets exceed the 
exemption level; as to the test for sales (revenues) and net income 
after income taxes, reports are required for each quarter of a year in 
which the annual amount of these items exceeds or can be expected to 
exceed, the exemption level. Quarterly reports for a year may be 
required retroactively when it is determined that the exemption level 
has been exceeded.
    (2) For report forms requesting annual data after the close of the 
year in question, the test shall be whether any one of the three items 
exceeded the exemption level during that year.
    (3) For the semi-annual plant and equipment expenditures survey, 
which requests actual data for the past year and/or annual projections 
for the current and following year, the test will be made for each year 
as to whether any one of the three items exceeded, or is expected to 
exceed, the exemption level; data must be reported only for the year or 
years in which the exemption level is, or is expected to be, exceeded.

If total assets, sales or net income exceed the exemption level in a 
given year, it is deemed that the exemption level will also be exceeded 
in the following year.


The number and title of each report form, its exemption level, and other 
reporting criteria, if any, pertaining to it, are given below.
    (e) Quarterly report form. BE-577--Transactions of U.S. Reporter 
with Foreign Affiliate: One report is required for each foreign 
affiliate exceeding an exemption level of $30,000,000 except that a 
report need not be filed by

[[Page 25]]

a U.S. Reporter to report direct transactions with one of its foreign 
affiliates in which it does not hold a direct equity interest unless an 
intercompany balance or fee and royalty receipts or payments for the 
quarter exceed $1,000,000.
    (f) Annual report forms. (1) BE-133B--Follow-up Schedule of 
Expenditures for property, Plant, and Equipment of U.S. Direct 
Investment Abroad: This is a schedule-type report form on which each 
majority-owned foreign affiliate exceeding an exemption level of 
$10,000,000 must be listed and the requested data given for each.
    (2) BE-133C--Schedule of Expenditures for Property, Plant, and 
Equipment of U.S. Direct Investment Abroad: This is a schedule-type 
report form on which each majority-owned foreign affiliate exceeding an 
exemption level of $10,000,000 must be listed and the requested data 
given for each.
    (3) BE-11--Annual Survey of U.S. Direct Investment Abroad: A report, 
consisting of Form BE-11A and Forms(s) BE-11B(LF), BE-11B(SF), and/or 
BE-11C, is required of each nonbank U.S. Reporter who, at the end of the 
Reporter's fiscal year, had a nonbank foreign affiliate reportable on 
Form BE-11B(LF), BE-11B(SF), or BE-11C. Forms required and the criteria 
for reporting on each are as follows:
    (i) Form BE-11A (Report for U.S. Reporter) must be filed by each 
nonbank U.S. person having a foreign affiliate reportable on form BE-
11B(LF), BE-11B(SF), or BE-11C. If the U.S. reporter is a corporation, 
Form BE-11A is required to cover the fully consolidated U.S. domestic 
business enterprise.
    (A) If for a nonbank U.S. Reporter any one of the following three 
items--total assets, sales or gross operating revenues excluding sales 
taxes, or net income after provision for U.S. income taxes--was greater 
than $100 million (positive or negative) at the end of, or for, the 
Reporter's fiscal year, the U.S. Reporter must file a complete Form BE-
11A. It must also file a Form BE-11B(LF), BE-11B(SF), or BE-11C, as 
applicable, for each nonexempt foreign affiliate.
    (B) If for a nonbank U.S. Reporter no one of the three items listed 
in paragraph (f)(3)(i)(A) of this section was greater than $100 million 
(positive or negative) at the end of, or for, the Reporter's fiscal 
year, the U.S. Reporter is required to file on Form BE-11A only items 1 
through 27 and Part IV. It must also file a Form BE-11B(LF), BE-11B(SF), 
or BE-11C, as applicable, for each nonexempt foreign affiliate.
    (ii) (Form BE-11B(LF) or (SF) (Report for Majority-owned Foreign 
Affiliate).
    (A) A BE-11B(LF) (Long Form) is required to be filed for each 
majority-owned nonbank foreign affiliate of a nonbank U.S. Reporter for 
which any one of the three items--total assets, sales or gross operating 
revenues excluding sales taxes, or net income after provision for 
foreign income taxes--was greater than $100 million (positive or 
negative) at the end of, or for, for the affiliate's fiscal year.
    (B) A BE-11B(SF)(Short Form) is required to be filed for each 
majority-owned nonbank foreign affiliate of a nonbank U.S. Reporter for 
which any one of the three items listed in paragraph (f)(3)(ii)(A) of 
this section was greater than $30 million (positive or negative), but 
for which no one of these items was greater than $100 million (positive 
or negative), at the end of, or for, the affiliate's fiscal year.
    (iii) Form BE-11C (Report for Minority-owned Foreign Affiliate) must 
be filed for each minority-owned nonbank foreign affiliate that is owned 
at least 20 percent, but not more than 50 percent, directly and/or 
indirectly, by all U.S. Reporters of the affiliate combined, and for 
which any one of the three items listed in paragraph(f)(3)(ii)(A) of 
this section was greater than $30 million (positive or negative) at the 
end of, or for, the affiliate's fiscal year. In addition, for the report 
covering fiscal year 2002 only, a Form BE-11C must be filed for each 
minority-owned nonbank foreign affiliate that is owned, directly or 
indirectly, at least 10 percent by one U.S. Reporter, but less than 20 
percent by all U.S. Reporters of the affiliate combined, and for which 
any one of the three items listed in paragraph (f)(3)(ii)(A) of this 
section was greater than $100 million (positive or negative) at the end 
of, or for, the affiliate's fiscal year.

[[Page 26]]

    (iv) Based on the preceding, an affiliate is exempt from being 
reported if it meets any one of the following criteria:
    (A) None of the three items listed in paragraph (f)(3)(ii)(A) of 
this section exceeds $30 million (positive or negative).
    (B) For fiscal year 2002 only, it is less than 20 percent owned, 
directly or indirectly, by all U.S. Reporters of the affiliate combined 
and none of the three items listed in paragraph (f)(3)(ii)(A) of this 
section exceeds $100 million (positive or negative).
    (C) For fiscal years other than 2002, it is less than 20 percent 
owned, directly or indirectly by all U.S. Reporters of the affiliate 
combined.
    (D) Its U.S. parent (U.S. Reporter) is a bank.
    (E) It is itself a bank.
    (v) Notwithstanding paragraph (f)(3)(iv) of this section, a Form BE-
11B(LF), BE-11B(SF), or BE-11C must be filed for a foreign affiliate of 
the U.S. Reporter than owns another nonexempt foreign affiliate of that 
U.S. Reporter, even if the foreign affiliate parent is otherwise exempt. 
That is, all affiliates upward in the chain of ownership must be 
reported.
    (g) Other report forms. (1) BE-507--Industry Classification 
Questionnaire: In general, U.S. Reporters and their foreign affiliates 
will each be assigned a BEA 3-digit industry code in the BE-10 Benchmark 
Surveys required by the Act to be conducted in 1982, 1989, and every 
fifth year thereafter. However, interim reports on Form BE-507 are 
required:
    (i) For each foreign affiliate newly established or acquired by a 
U.S. person on or after January 1, 1978; or
    (ii) For each U.S. person who becomes a U.S. Reporter on or after 
January 1, 1978 by virtue of establishing or acquiring a foreign 
affiliate; or
    (iii) For an existing foreign affiliate or U.S. Reporter whose 
industry classification changes on or after January 1, 1978 so that a 
previous BE-507 report or the BE-10 report required to be filed for 1977 
does not accurately reflect the current industry classification of the 
entity.

For new U.S. Reporters or foreign affiliates, the BE-507 report must be 
filed only if one of the other reports must be filed and shall be 
submitted with the initial filing of the related report. For a change in 
an existing U.S. Reporter or foreign affiliate which is currently filing 
one of the other reports, the BE-507 report must be filed whenever it is 
determined that change from one 3-digit industry classification to 
another has occurred.
    (2) BE-10-Benchmark Survey of U.S. Direct Investment Abroad: Section 
4(b) of the Act (22 U.S.C. 3103) provides that a comprehensive benchmark 
survey of U.S. direct investment abroad will be conducted in 1982, 1989, 
and every fifth year thereafter. The survey, referred to as the ``BE-
10,'' consists of a Form BE-10A or BE-10A BANK for reporting information 
concerning the U.S. Reporter and Form(s) BE-10B(LF), BE-10B(SF), or BE-
10B BANK for reporting information concerning each foreign affiliate. 
Exemption levels, specific requirements for, and the year of coverage 
of, a given BE-10 survey may be found in Sec. 806.16.

[42 FR 64315, Dec. 22, 1977; 43 FR 2169, Jan. 16, 1978, as amended at 46 
FR 23226, Apr. 24, 1981; 47 FR 13139, Mar. 29, 1982; 48 FR 8993, Mar. 3, 
1983; 49 FR 30059, July 26, 1984; 51 FR 11012, Apr. 1, 1986; 52 FR 8446, 
Mar. 18, 1987; 52 FR 42276, Nov. 4, 1987; 54 FR 51879, Dec. 19, 1989; 55 
FR 49879, Dec. 3, 1990; 60 FR 10490, Feb. 27, 1995; 60 FR 54591, Oct. 
25, 1995; 65 FR 78920, 78922, Dec. 18, 2000]