International Services Surveys: BE-22 Annual Survey of Selected Services Transactions With Unaffiliated Foreign Persons

These final rules amend the reporting requirements for the BE- 22, Annual Survey of Selected Services Transactions With Unaffiliated Foreign Persons. The BE-22 surveys is conducted by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), U.S. Department of Commerce, under the International Investment and Trade in Services Survey Act. It is the annual follow-on survey to the quinquennial BE-20, Benchmark Survey of Selected Services Transactions With Unaffiliated Foreign Persons, which was last conducted for 1996. Together, the two surveys produce a continuous annual time series of data on major types of services that are out of the scope of other international services surveys. In nonbenchmark years, universe estimates of these transactions are derived by adding to annually reported sample data extrapolations of data reported in the benchmark survey by companies exempt from annual reporting. The data are needed to support U.S. trade policy initiatives, compile the U.S. balance of payments, input-output, and national income and product accounts, develop U.S. international price indexes for services, assess U.S. competitiveness in services, and improve the ability of U.S. businesses to identify and evaluate market opportunities. Two major changes to the BE-22 annual survey are contained in these final rules: (1) coverage of the BE-22 annual survey is expanded to conform with the most recent BE-20 benchmark survey, which covered 1996, and (2) coverage of general use computer software royalties and license fees is dropped. To consolidate on one form all transactions in intangible rights between U.S. and unaffiliated foreign persons, coverage of general use computer software royalties and license fees is being moved from the BE-22 to the BE-93, Annual Survey of Royalties, License Fees, and Other Receipts and Payments for Intangible Rights Between U.S. and Unaffiliated Foreign Persons.