Proposed Collection; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

Proposed Collection; Comment Request

TITLE: Export Trading Companies Contact Facilitation Service.

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort

to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public

and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the

continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506 (c) (2) (A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before July 10, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room

5327, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230. Phone

number: (202) 482-3272.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or

copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should

be directed to: Mary Michael, Office of Export Trading Company Affairs,

Service Industries and Finance, Room 1800, 14th and Constitution

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230; phone: (202) 482-5131, and fax: (202)

482-1790.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

The Contact Facilitation Service (CFS) is designed to put producers

together with exporters. Many U.S. firms have never exported because of

a fear of the risks involved in exporting and a lack of knowledge of

the international marketplace. New-to-export firms need the assistance

of firms offering export trade services. One of the purposes of the

Export Trading Company (ETC) Act of 1982 is to increase United States

exports of goods and services by encouraging more efficient provision

of export trade services to U.S. producers and suppliers. Section 104

of the Act directs Commerce to provide a service to facilitate contact

between producers of exportable goods and services and firms offering

export trade services.

The International Trade Administration (ITA) maintains a database

for U.S. manufacturers, export trading and management companies,

wholesalers/distributors, and international service firms. The CFS is

designed to help promote exports and enable U.S. producers to locate

ETCs and export services providers. Companies registered in the

database are also listed in annual editions of The Export Yellow Pages

which are distributed throughout the United States and worldwide.

Without the information collected by the form, the CFS and The Export

Yellow Pages would be unreliable and ineffective, because users of this

kind of information need the current information about the listed

companies.

II. Method of Collection

Form ITA-4094P is sent by request to U.S. firms.

III. Data

OMB Number: 0625-0120.

Form Number: ITA-4094P.

Type of Review: Revision-Regular Submission.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit

institutions and State, local or Tribal Government.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 9,500.

Estimated Time Per Response: 30 minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 4,750.

Estimated Total Annual Costs: $198,184 ($112,684 government and

$85,500 respondents).

IV. 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 shall have practical

utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden

(including hours and costs) of the proposed collection of information;

(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 respondents, including through the use of

automated collection techniques or forms of information technology.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized

and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information

collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

Dated: May 5, 1998.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of Management and

Organization.

[FR Doc. 98-12418 Filed 5-8-98; 8:45 am]

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