Direct Investment Surveys: Raising Exemption Level for Two Surveys of Foreign Direct Investment in the United States

Résumé

This document sets forth proposed rules to amend 15 CFR 806.15 by raising the exemption level for reporting in two surveys of foreign direct investment in the United States: raise the exemption level for Forms BE-605 and BE-605 Bank to $30 million from $20 million; and raise the exemption level for Forms BE-13 and BE-14 to $3 million from $1 million. The purpose of these changes is to bring the surveys into conformity with the proposed design of the BE-12, Benchmark Survey of Foreign Direct Investment in the United States--1997. It is expected that the changes will effect a reduction in the number of reports filed by U.S. affiliates of foreign persons and thereby reduce reporting burden. BEA is proposing other changes to the surveys that do not require a change in the rule, and that may increase the reporting burden slightly for the BE-605 survey, thereby offsetting a portion of the reduction in burden that results from raising the exemption level.