The AWTS survey provides a continuing official measure of annual wholesale sales, purchases, e-commerce, operating expenses and year-end inventories. The survey represents merchant wholesalers (including manufacturer's sales branches and offices) and non-merchant wholesalers (agents, brokers, representatives and electronic markets), accurately measuring economic performance in the United States. The Bureau of Economic Analysis will use this information in their estimates of the gross domestic products.
The burden decrease is a result of three factors:
1) large decrease in reporting burden on all forms associated with dropping the Business expenses & tax questions for survey year 2018 (collected in 2019)
2) small increase in reporting burden on forms SA-42-agbr and SA-42A-agbr associated with adding the purchases of products question
3) small decrease in reporting burden on all forms associated with adding ceased operations answer choice
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.