Direct Investment Surveys: BE-10, Benchmark Survey of U.S. Direct Investment Abroad-2004

This final rule amends regulations for the BE-10, Benchmark Survey of U.S. Direct Investment Abroad. The BE-10 survey is conducted once every five years by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), U.S. Department of Commerce, under the International Investment and Trade in Services Survey Act. The benchmark survey will be conducted for 2004. The benchmark survey covers virtually the entire universe of U.S. direct investment abroad in terms of value, and is BEA's most comprehensive survey of such investment in terms of subject matter. It obtains universe data on financial and operating characteristics of, and on positions and transactions between, U.S. parent companies and their foreign affiliates. The data are needed to measure the size and economic significance of U.S. direct investment abroad, measure changes in such investment, and assess its impact on the U.S. and foreign economies. The final rule: Increases the exemption level for reporting on the BE-10B(SF) short form from $7 million to $25 million and on the BE-10B Bank form from $7 million to $10 million; increases the exemption level for reporting on the BE-10B(LF) long form from $100 million to $150 million; and increases the exemption level for reporting only selected items on the BE-10A form from $100 million to $150 million. In conjunction with these increases in exemption levels, BEA is introducing an abbreviated short form, Form BE-10B Mini, for reporting nonbank foreign affiliates with assets, sales or gross operating revenues, and net income (loss) less than or equal to $25 million but greater than $10 million.