Notice of Request for Extension of a Currently Approved Information Collection

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Foreign Agricultural Service

Notice of Request for Extension of a Currently Approved

Information Collection

AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice announces the Foreign Agricultural Service's (FAS) intention to

request an extension for a currently approved information collection in

support of the USDA's Export Sales Reporting Program.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by December 8, 1997

assured of consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS: Contact Thomas B McDonald, Jr.,

Chief, Export Sales Reporting, International Trade Policy, Foreign

Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-1025, (202) 720-3273, FAX (202) 690-

3275.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Export Sales of U.S. Agricultural Commodities.

OMB Number: 0551-0007.

Expiration Date of Approval: March 31, 1998.

Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information

collection.

Abstract: The Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 requires mandatory

reporting by all export sellers of selected U.S. produced agricultural

commodities. The published data is an ``early warning'' of sales

activity and provides basis for more informed decisions by producers,

exporters, futures markets participants, consumers, and government. The

respondents include any person or company who sells a reportable

commodity to a foreign buyer.

USDA's export sales reporting system has its roots in the

unexpected purchase of large amounts of U.S. wheat and corn by the

Soviet Union in 1972. To make sure that all parties involved in the

production and export of U.S. grain have access to up-to-date export

information, the U.S. Congress mandated an export sales reporting

requirement in 1973. Prior to the establishment of the export reporting

system, it was impossible for the public to obtain information on

export sales activity until the actual shipments had taken place. This

frequently resulted in considerable delay in the availability of

information.

Under the export sales reporting system, U.S. exporters are

required to report all large sales of certain designated commodities by

3 p.m. (Eastern time) on the next business day after the sale is made.

The designated commodities for these daily reports are wheat (by

class), barley, corn, grain sorghum, oats, soybeans, soybean cake and

meal, and soybean oil. Large sales

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for all reportable commodities except soybean oil are defined as

100,000 metric tons or more of one commodity in one day to a single

destination or 200,000 tons or more of one commodity during the weekly

reporting period. Large sales for soybean oil are 20,000 tons and

40,000 tons, respectively.

Weekly reports are also required, regardless of the size of the

sales transaction, for all of these commodities, as well as wheat

products, rye, flaxseed, linseed oil, sunflowerseed oil, cotton (by

staple length), cottonseed, cottonseed cake and meal, cottonseed oil,

rice (by class), and cattle hides and skins (cattle, calf, and kip).

The reporting week for the export sales reporting system is Friday-

Thursday. The Secretary of Agriculture has the authority to add other

commodities to this list.

Sunflowerseed oil was added to the program in April, 1997. Nine

exporters have reported sales totaling 271 thousand metric tons

resulting in exports of 244 thousand tons through the period ending

September 11, 1997.

U.S. exporters provide information on the quantity of their sales

transactions, the type and class of commodity, the marketing year of

shipment, and the destination. They also report any changes in

previously reported information, such as cancellations and changes in

destinations.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for collecting

information under this proposed rule is estimated to average 32.4

minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions,

searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data

needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

Respondents: Business and other for-profit.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 299.

Estimated number of annual Responses per Respondent: 140.

Estimated total annual burden on Respondents: 22,604 hours.

Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Valerie

Countiss, the Agency Information Collection Coordinator, at (202) 720-

6713.

Request for Comments: Comments are invited on (a) Whether the

proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper

performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the

information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the

agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of

information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions

used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the

information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the

collection of information on those who are to respond, including

through use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical or other

technological collection techniques or other forms of information

technology. Comments may be sent to: Thomas B. McDonald, Jr., Chief,

Export Sales Reporting, International Trade Policy, Foreign

Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW, Stop 1025, Washington DC 20250-1025, or FAX (202) 690-3275.

All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the

request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of

public record.

Signed at Washington, DC, October 1, 1997.

Christopher E. Goldthwait,

Acting Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service.

[FR Doc. 97-26524 Filed 10-6-97; 8:45 am]

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