Supporting Stmt -6-15-11

2011 SUPPORTING STATEMENT

for

DATA COLLECTION FOR CONTAINER AVAILABILITY

OMB NO. 0581-NEW

A. Justification.

1. EXPLAIN THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT MAKE THE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION NECESSARY. IDENTIFY ANY LEGAL OR ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS THAT NECESSITATE THE COLLECTION.

Section 203(g) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621) directs and authorizes the collection of information and disseminating of market information including adequate outlook information on a market-area basis for the purpose of anticipating and meeting consumer requirements, aiding in the maintenance of farm income and bringing about balance between production and utilization of agriculture products.

The mission of the Transportation Services Division (TSD) of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is to provide insightful agricultural transportation information and analysis to help move agricultural products to market. Equal access to timely, reliable and transparent market information tends to improve the overall competitiveness of all market participants. In the absence of transportation information and reports published by AMS, small and medium sized market participants with limited resources for developing and collecting information may be at a competitive disadvantage to larger participants who can afford very sophisticated information systems.

The agricultural transportation information currently published by AMS is widely used by the agricultural community (export and domestic), as well as by various government agencies for planning and policy development.

The proposed container availability data will be collected and distributed in a similar fashion and with the same effectiveness and efficiency as other AMS agricultural transportation publications. These data will allow AMS to provide market intelligence for the growing containerized agricultural export community. Since 2000, containerized waterborne agricultural exports have grown by 66 percent. In 2009, containerized waterborne agricultural exports fell by only 2 percent during one of the worst recession in decades, but by 2010, exports increased by 12 percent. More than 50 percent of waterborne agricultural exports move in containers by volume. As the global middle class continues to grow, the demand for high quality U.S. meats, grains, fruits and vegetables is expected to grow as well. However, without available containers to service these exports, some of this growing demand may be met by other countries.

Containers help to maintain the quality of U.S. products during transport to overseas markets. They also facilitate the increasingly popular just-in-time business practice that allows buyers to reduce inventory costs. In addition, containers provide buyers with smaller quantities of products instead of having to receive large bulk quantities of a particular commodity.

Finding available containers will help exporters fulfill the President’s National Export Initiative (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/executive-order-national-export-initiative) which set a goal in January 2010 to double exports by 2015. In March 2010, the President further directed agencies to use every available resource to increase U.S. exports. Without sufficient equipment and efficient transportation service to move these cargoes, exporters will struggle to meet that goal.

The proposed new AMS container availability information collection will provide a more transparent view of container flows and help U.S. exporters locate available equipment to move their products. Agricultural exporters, in particular, struggle to find containers because most agricultural production sites are located long distances from populated metropolises where container pools tend to collect.

2. INDICATE HOW, BY WHOM, AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE THE INFORMATION IS TO BE USED. EXCEPT FOR A NEW COLLECTION, INDICATE THE ACTUAL USE THE AGENCY HAS MADE OF THE INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM THE CURRENT COLLECTION.

All U.S. exporters will be able to use the container available data collected.

How will the Information be Collected? Participating ocean container carriers will voluntarily submit container availability estimates to AMS staff on a weekly basis. The data will be sent by email to AMS in an Excel spreadsheet format.

Information to be Collected and Reported: Participating ocean container carriers will provide weekly data estimating the level of container availability for four different types of containers (20ft, 40ft, 40ft high cubes, and 40ft refrigerated containers) at 18 cities around the country. Based on the number of available containers reported, a numeric category will be assigned to each equipment type at each location. See category table on the next page for more details.

For example, if a carrier indicates a category 3 for 20ft containers in Seattle, WA, this indicates a deficit of between 20 and 39 containers in Seattle for that carrier. Each carrier will also provide future projections or forecasts of the same data described above for the subsequent two weeks.

Once gathered and aggregated, the data will be averaged across carriers and displayed in a map in the final published document. This will give users a quick “dashboard” view of average availability by container type at select locations around the country. In addition, the report will include a display of availability at each of the 18 locations. This section of the report will include both graphical and tabular displays of the container availability data aggregated. Color and number coding in the tables and graphs allow the reader to know, at a glance, if there is an adequate supply of containers, a surplus, or a deficit, as well as the approximate number of containers available at each location. See the draft report attached for more detail.

Container Availability Category Legend
Category Indication	Category Levels	Container Ranges
Deficit	0	-80 or more
Deficit	1	-79 to -60
Deficit	2	-59 to -40
Deficit	3	-39 to -20
Deficit	4	-19 to 0
Adequate	5	0 to 10
Surplus	6	11 to 19
Surplus	7	20 to 39
Surplus	8	40 to 59
Surplus	9	60 to 79
Surplus	10	80+

Specific company names will not be associated with the container availability data in the final published report. However, the names of the companies participating in the collection each week will be provided in the background information of the report.

Uses of the Container Availability Data: These data provide a first of its kind view of container availability giving exporters more insight into the availability of containers, ultimately providing better access to overseas markets.

Container availability data could be used by any U.S. exporter to identify the availability of containers at strategic locations around the country. These data will allow exporters to have an idea, for three weeks out, as to the projected number of containers available at each identified location.

Exporters could use these data to determine from which potential locations their products could be moved. The data would provide extra information that could make their search for containers easier and more efficient, adding some pieces to the exporter’s puzzle of putting an export transaction together. Each week, these data would be available not only for the current week, but also would provide projections for two consecutive weeks into the future as well. These data are expected to be particularly helpful for exporters looking for new sources of container pools around the country.

Exporters will be able to watch, over time, the availability of containers at these locations, which will provide better insight in making long term logistical decisions about potential loading locations or where to gain access to a pool of available containers.

Collecting marine shipping container availability data will be a new information collection. There is no sharing agreement set up within or outside USDA. However, the aggregated data from the data collected will be public information.

Practical Utility: Knowing the location of containers allows exporters to make better business decisions and potentially finalize a sale that would otherwise be lost due to the lack of an available container. Agricultural exporters will be able to view and use these data weekly on the AMS website for planning and analysis. Additionally, AMS will use these data to help describe current availability challenges facing agricultural exporters to the appropriate policy makers. AMS will likely develop additional analysis (frequency to be determined) using these data to track historical container availability trends.

3. DESCRIBE WHETHER, AND TO WHAT EXTENT, THE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION INVOLVES THE USE OF AUTOMATED, ELECTRONIC, MECHANICAL, OR OTHER TECHNOLOGICAL COLLECTION TECHNIQUES OR OTHER FORMS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, E.G. PERMITTING ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION OF RESPONSES, AND THE BASIS FOR THE DECISION FOR ADOPTING THIS MEANS OF COLLECTION. ALSO DESCRIBE ANY CONSIDERATION OF USING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO REDUCE BURDEN.

The proposed data collection will be submitted weekly by email in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.

4. DESCRIBE EFFORTS TO IDENTIFY DUPLICATION. SHOW SPECIFICALLY WHY ANY SIMILAR INFORMATION ALREADY AVAILABLE CANNOT BE USED OR MODIFIED FOR USE FOR THE PURPOSE(S) DESCRIBED IN ITEM 2 ABOVE.

To our knowledge, no other dataset like this is available to the public. There are companies that provide matching services, but this information is only provided to their customers and is not publically available to the exporting community. These companies gain carrier container availability data and match it with exporters needing containers. These private companies provide this service for a fee and only provide the information to paying customers. The AMS container availability dataset would not match containers with cargo, but would instead provide an overview of container availability at select locations around the country.

5. IF THE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION IMPACTS SMALL BUSINESSES OR OTHER SMALL ENTITIES (ITEM 5 OF THE OMB FORM 83-I), DESCRIBE THE METHODS USED TO MINIMIZE BURDEN.

No small businesses are expected to be impacted because the 21 ocean carriers that are expected to participate are not small businesses. However, the new collection will provide market intelligence to help small U.S. export businesses make more informed business decisions.

6. DESCRIBE THE CONSEQUENCE TO FEDERAL PROGRAM OR POLICY ACTIVITIES IF THE COLLECTION IS NOT CONDUCTED OR IS CONDUCTED LESS FREQUENTLY, AS WELL AS ANY TECHNICAL OR LEGAL OBSTACLES TO REDUCING BURDEN.

In order to better fulfill the Agency’s mission of facilitating the orderly marketing of agricultural products, AMS has developed this new information collection to provide more transparent market intelligence through a unique dataset for the agricultural export community. If this collection is not conducted it would result in an inability to provide an additional service to agricultural exporters to assist them with the chronic problem of finding available containers.

7. EXPLAIN ANY SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WOULD CAUSE AN INFORMATION COLLECTION TO BE CONDUCTED IN A MANNER:

- REQUIRING RESPONDENTS TO REPORT INFORMATION TO THE AGENCY MORE OFTEN THAN QUARTERLY;

Agricultural exporters have indicated to AMS that weekly collection would be the most useful to them and is consistent with the demands for finding available containers by the export community. Additionally, many ocean carriers internally collect and disseminate information weekly.

Information released on a quarterly basis would not be effective in providing information to the agricultural export community when needed. Market conditions change frequently forcing exporters to have the most up-to-date information to make the best business decision and honor contracts with overseas partners. If the information collected is not provided weekly it will be too stale and will not meet the agricultural export community’s requirement for current information on container availability.

- REQUIRING RESPONDENTS TO PREPARE A WRITTEN RESPONSE TO A COLLECTION OF INFORMATION IN FEWER THAN 30 DAYS AFTER RECEIPT OF IT;

There are no special circumstances that would require respondents to prepare a written response to a collection of information in fewer than 30 days after receipt of the information. This proposed information collection is voluntary on all respondents that choose to participate. In order to participate, respondents would be required to submit data weekly by email. There is no requirement for copies.

- REQUIRING RESPONDENTS TO SUBMIT MORE THAN AN ORIGINAL AND TWO COPIES OF ANY DOCUMENT;

There are no special circumstances that would require respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any document. In order to participate, respondents would be required to submit data weekly by email and participation is voluntary.

- REQUIRING RESPONDENTS TO RETAIN RECORDS, OTHER THAN HEALTH, MEDICAL, GOVERNMENT CONTRACT, GRANT-IN-AID, OR TAX RECORDS FOR MORE THAN 3 YEARS;

There are no special circumstances that would require respondents to retain records, other than health, medical, government contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records for more than 3 years.

- IN CONNECTION WITH A STATISTICAL SURVEY, THAT IS NOT DESIGNED TO PRODUCE VALID AND RELIABLE RESULTS THAT CAN BE GENERALIZED TO THE UNIVERSE OF STUDY;

All data collected for reports are aggregated to generalize the results and prevent disclosures of any one respondent.

- REQUIRING THE USE OF A STATISTICAL DATA CLASSIFICATION THAT HAS NOT BEEN REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY OMB;

There are no special circumstances that would require respondents to use a statistical data classification that has not been reviewed and approved by OMB.

• THAT INCLUDES A PLEDGE OF CONFIDENTIALITY THAT IS NOT SUPPORTED BY AUTHORITY ESTABLISHED IN STATUE OR REGULATION, THAT IS NOT SUPPORTED BY DISCLOSURE AND DATA SECURITY POLICIES THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE PLEDGE, OR WHICH UNNECESSARILY IMPEDES SHARING OF DATA WITH OTHER AGENCIES FOR COMPATIBLE CONFIDENTIAL USE; OR

See response to next item below.

• REQUIRING RESPONDENTS TO SUBMIT PROPRIETARY TRADE SECRET, OR OTHER CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION UNLESS THE AGENCY CAN DEMONSTRATE THAT IT HAS INSTITUTED PROCEDURES TO PROTECT THE INFORMATION'S CONFIDENTIALITY TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

All specific company information collected is strictly confidential as to individual or firms’ proprietary information. Respondents provide information to AMS with complete confidence that their information will not be used in any way that would disclose their individual operations.

AMS is protected pursuant to Section 1770 of the Food Security Act of 1985, 7 U.S.C. # 2276, which requires USDA to keep source information collected strictly confidential.

8. IF APPLICABLE, PROVIDE A COPY AND IDENTIFY THE DATE AND PAGE NUMBER OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER OF THE AGENCY'S NOTICE, REQUIRED BY 5 CFR 1320.8(d), SOLICITING COMMENTS ON THE INFORMATION COLLECTION PRIOR TO SUBMISSION TO OMB. SUMMARIZE PUBLIC COMMENTS RECEIVED IN RESPONSE TO THAT NOTICE AND DESCRIBE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE AGENCY IN RESPONSE TO THESE COMMENTS. SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS COMMENTS RECEIVED ON COST AND HOUR BURDEN.

On April 1, 2011, Volume 76, Number 63, pages 18147 to 18148, the agency published the notice of information collection and request for comments in the Federal Register. One supportive comment was received from the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) after the expiration of the 60-day notice. FMC is the independent federal agency responsible for regulating the nation’s international ocean transportation for the benefit of exporters, importers, and the American consumer. FMC’s comments were submitted late due to an unexpected power outage which lasted several days. These comments are attached for your reference.

- DESCRIBE EFFORTS TO CONSULT WITH PERSONS OUTSIDE THE AGENCY TO OBTAIN THEIR VIEWS ON THE AVAILABILITY OF DATA, FREQUENCY OF COLLECTION, THE CLARITY OF INSTRUCTIONS AND RECORDKEEPING, DISCLOSURE, OR REPORTING FORMAT (IF ANY), AND ON THE DATA ELEMENTS TO BE RECORDED, DISCLOSED, OR REPORTED.

In June 2010, AMS began a small scale container availability pilot project in conjunction with four ocean carriers and several agricultural exporters to identify and aggregate data on the availability of ocean containers at select locations around the country. By November, the participants had achieved consensus that the pilot project would monitor availability at 18 locations and be presented weekly with 2 additional weeks of forward-looking data. The data were successfully collected from the four ocean carriers for 14 weeks and the aggregated results were presented to the exporter participants.

- CONSULTATION WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THOSE FROM WHOM INFORMATION IS TO BE OBTAINED OR THOSE WHO MUST COMPILE RECORDS SHOULD OCCUR AT LEAST ONCE EVERY 3 YEARS -- EVEN IF THE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION ACTIVITY IS THE SAME AS IN PRIOR PERIODS. THERE MAY BE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT MAY PRECLUDE CONSULTATION IN A SPECIFIC SITUATION. THESE CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD BE EXPLAINED.

AMS staff communicates often with U.S. containerized agricultural exporters and the carriers that ship their products. By attending regular meetings with U.S. containerized agricultural exporters, AMS staff is able to better understand the challenges facing these exporters and discuss ways USDA can help mitigate some of their transportation challenges. In fact, the inspiration for this new information collection came from one such meeting with the agricultural export community. If the information collection is approved, AMS staff will have ample opportunities to get feedback from the affected respondents.

The following individuals were privy to the pilot project mentioned above:

Ocean Carrier Representative:

Brian Conrad

Westbound Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (WTSA)

Oakland, CA

Tel: (510) 208-0440

[email protected]

Report Reviewer:

Rebecca A. Fenneman

General Counsel

Federal Maritime Commission

Washington, DC

Tel: (202) 523-5740

[email protected]

In-house Report Reviewers:

Demaris Wilson

Associate Deputy Administration

Transportation and Marketing Programs

Washington, DC

Tel: (202) 690-4142

[email protected]

Bruce Blanton

Director

Transportation Services Division

Washington, DC

Tel: 202-690-0435

[email protected]

9. EXPLAIN ANY DECISION TO PROVIDE ANY PAYMENT OR GIFT TO RESPONDENTS, OTHER THAN REMUNERATION OF CONTRACTORS OR GRANTEES.

No payments or gifts are provided to respondents.

10. DESCRIBE ANY ASSURANCE OF CONFIDENTIALITY PROVIDED TO RESPONDENTS AND THE BASIS FOR THE ASSURANCE IN STATUTE, REGULATION, OR AGENCY POLICY.

AMS is committed to keep all individual ocean container carrier company data out of the weekly publication of the aggregated container availability data. In most cases, this information will not be provided to TSD directly from the carriers, but through their WTSA representative who will collect the information from individual carriers and aggregate before sending to AMS. However, as other companies join the data collection, specific companies may provide the data individually. In all cases, AMS has agreed to not associate the specific container availability data with the name of the ocean container carrier. The purpose of our report is to provide an overview of container availability, not to provide a forum in which carriers and beneficial cargo owners match available containers with export cargo; that is a private sector function.

AMS provides assurance of confidentiality to the respondents by means of the methodology and procedures of the division.  Records showing the names of respondents are destroyed as soon as data is collected, checked for accuracy, aggregated, finalized, and published.

Additionally, the information collected by AMS is protected under 7 U.S.C. # 2276, which requires USDA to keep source information collected strictly confidential.  Agency policy has established the importance of confidentiality in reporting.  The information collected is not published if such action would divulge the trading practices of individual or specific trading companies.  The market information is then aggregated and broadly disseminated to the public and individual source documents are destroyed.

11. PROVIDE ADDITIONAL JUSTIFICATION FOR ANY QUESTIONS OF A SENSITIVE NATURE, SUCH AS SEXUAL BEHAVIOR AND ATTITUDES, RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, AND OTHER MATTERS THAT ARE COMMONLY CONSIDERED PRIVATE. THIS JUSTIFICATION SHOULD INCLUDE THE REASONS WHY THE AGENCY CONSIDERS THE QUESTIONS NECESSARY, THE SPECIFIC USES TO BE MADE OF THE INFORMATION, THE EXPLANATION TO BE GIVEN TO PERSONS FROM WHOM THE INFORMATION IS REQUESTED, AND ANY STEPS TO BE TAKEN TO OBTAIN THEIR CONSENT.

Questions of a sensitive nature are not found in this information collection.

12. PROVIDE ESTIMATES OF THE HOUR BURDEN OF THE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION.

THE STATEMENT SHOULD:

- INDICATE THE NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS, FREQUENCY OF RESPONSE, ANNUAL HOUR BURDEN, AND AN EXPLANATION OF HOW THE BURDEN WAS ESTIMATED. UNLESS DIRECTED TO DO SO, AGENCIES SHOULD NOT CONDUCT SPECIAL SURVEYS TO OBTAIN INFORMATION ON WHICH TO BASE HOUR BURDEN ESTIMATES. CONSULTATION WITH A SAMPLE (FEWER THAN 10) OF POTENTIAL RESPONDENTS IS DESIRABLE. IF THE HOUR BURDEN ON RESPONDENTS IS EXPECTED TO VARY WIDELY BECAUSE OF DIFFERENCE IN ACTIVITY, SIZE, OR COMPLEXITY, SHOW THE RANGE OF ESTIMATED HOUR BURDEN, AND EXPLAIN THE REASONS FOR THE VARIANCE. GENERALLY, ESTIMATES SHOULD NOT INCLUDE BURDEN HOURS FOR CUSTOMARY AND USUAL BUSINESS PRACTICES.

See response to next item below.

• IF THIS REQUEST FOR APPROVAL COVERS MORE THAN ONE FORM, PROVIDE SEPARATE HOUR BURDEN ESTIMATES FOR EACH FORM AND AGGREGATE THE HOUR BURDENS IN ITEM 13 OF OMB FORM 83-I.

Details of the hour burden estimations are available in the attached AMS-71 form. The burden estimates were calculated using the number of hours provided from a sample of ocean carriers and ocean carrier associates that will participate in the weekly information collection.

- PROVIDE ESTIMATES OF ANNUALIZED COST TO RESPONDENTS FOR THE HOUR BURDENS FOR COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION, IDENTIFYING AND USING APPROPRIATE WAGE RATE CATEGORIES.

The respondents’ estimated annual cost is $54,537.06. This total has been estimated by multiplying 1,759.26 (total burden hours) by $31.00. The $31.00 per hour figure represents an estimated per hour cost for a professional Transportation Logistician. This hourly wage was obtained from the U.S. Department of Labor Statistic’s publication, “National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2008” published August 2009 (Bulletin 2720). This publication can be found at the following website: http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ncswage2008.htm.

13. PROVIDE AN ESTIMATE OF THE TOTAL ANNUAL COST BURDEN TO RESPONDENTS OR RECORDKEEPERS RESULTING FROM THE COLLECTIOIN OF INFORMATION. (DO NOT INCLUDE THE COST OF ANY HOUR BURDEN SHOWN IN ITEMS 12 AND 14).

- THE COST ESTIMATE SHOULD BE SPLIT INTO TWO COMPONENTS: (a) A TOTAL CAPITAL AND START-UP COST COMPONENT (ANNUALIZED OVER ITS EXPECTED USEFUL LIFE); AND (b) A TOTAL OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE AND PURCHASE OF SERVICES COMPONENT. THE ESTIMATES SHOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH GENERATING, MAINTAINING, AND DISCLOSING OR PROVIDING THE INFORMATION. INCLUDE DESCRIPTIONS OF METHODS USED TO ESTIMATE MAJOR COST FACTORS INCLUDING SYSTEM AND TECHNOLOGY ACQUISITION, EXPECTED USEFUL LIFE OF CAPITAL EQUIPMENT, THE DISCOUNT RATE(S), AND THE TIME PERIOD OVER WHICH COSTS WILL BE INCURRED. CAPITAL AND START-UP COSTS INCLUDE, AMONG OTHER ITEMS, PREPARATIONS FOR COLLECTING INFORMATION SUCH AS PURCHASING COMPUTERS AND SOFTWARE; MONITORING, SAMPLING, DRILLING AND TESTING EQUIPMENT; AND RECORD STORAGE FACILITIES.

- IF COST ESTIMATES ARE EXPECTED TO VARY WIDELY, AGENCIES SHOULD PRESENT RANGES OF COST BURDENS AND EXPLAIN THE REASONS FOR THE VARIANCE. THE COST OF PURCHASING OR CONTRACTING OUT INFORMATION COLLECTION SERVICES SHOULD BE A PART OF THIS COST BURDEN ESTIMATE. IN DEVELOPING COST BURDEN ESTIMATES, AGENCIES MAY CONSULT WITH A SAMPLE OF RESPONDENTS (FEWER THAN 10), UTILIZE THE 60-DAY PRE-OMB SUBMISSION PUBLIC COMMENT PROCESS AND USE EXISTING ECONOMIC OR REGULATORY IMPACT ANALYSIS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RULEMAKING CONTAINING THE INFORMATION COLLECTION, AS APPROPRIATE.

- GENERALLY, ESTIMATES SHOULD NOT INCLUDE PURCHASES OF EQUIPMENT OR SERVICES, OR PORTIONS THEREOF, MADE: (1) PRIOR TO OCTOBER 1, 1995, (2) TO ACHIEVE REGULATORY COMPLIANCE WITH REQUIREMENTS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE INFORMATION COLLECTION, (3) FOR REASONS OTHER THAN TO PROVIDE INFORMATION OR KEEPING RECORDS FOR THE GOVERNMENT, OR (4) AS PART OF CUSTOMARY AND USUAL BUSINESS OR PRIVATE PRACTICES.

There are no capital, startup, operation, or maintenance costs associated with this program.

14. PROVIDE ESTIMATES OF ANNUALIZED COST TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. ALSO, PROVIDE A DESCRIPTION OF THE METHOD USED TO ESTIMATE COST, WHICH SHOULD INCLUDE QUANTIFICATION OF HOURS, OPERATION EXPENSES (SUCH AS EQUIPMENT, OVERHEAD, PRINTING, AND SUPPORT STAFF), AND ANY OTHER EXPENSE THAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN INCURRED WITHOUT THIS COLLECTION OF INFORMATION. AGENCIES ALSO MAY AGGREGATE COST ESTIMATES FROM ITEMS 12, 13, AND 14 IN A SINGLE TABLE.

The estimated annualized cost to the Federal Government to collect and publish weekly container availability information from ocean container carriers and their associates is $31,369.52. Development of the container availability dataset including the implementation of the pilot project and preparatory OMB approval paperwork cost the Federal Government an additional $11,151.85. More details below:

Calculations for Estimates of Annualized Cost to the Federal Government
Preparatory Work GS-13: Development of Dataset Including Pilot Project and Initial OMB Approval Paperwork (60-day Notice)
June 2010-August 2010	Hours
7 hours per week	84
Sept-Nov 2010
2 hours per week	26
December 2010-February 2011
10 hours per week	120
March 2011
1 hour per week	5
May 2011
5 hours per week	25
Total Hours of Preparatory Work	260
Cost to the Federal Government	$10,855
Preparatory Work by Administrative Staff GS-7: Preparation of the 60-day Notice
	Hours
February 2011	15
Total Hours of Preparatory Work	15
Cost to the Federal Government	$297
Weekly Reporting GS-13: Weekly Publication of the Container Availability Data Collected
	Hours
Gathering, aggregating, and calculating data	6
Developing data highlights and formatting	6
Publishing report	2
Total Hours of Weekly Reporting	14
Cost to the Federal Government per week	$603
Annual Cost to the Federal Government	$31,370

15. EXPLAIN THE REASON FOR ANY PROGRAM CHANGES OR ADJUSTMENTS REPORTED IN ITEMS 13 OR 14 OF THE OMB FORM 83-I.

This is a new information collection.

15. FOR COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION WHOSE RESULTS WILL BE PUBLISHED, OUTLINE PLANS FOR TABULATION, AND PUBLICATION. ADDRESS ANY COMPLEX ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES THAT WILL BE USED. PROVIDE THE TIME SCHEDULE FOR THE ENTIRE PROJECT, INCLUDING BEGINNING AND ENDING DATES OF THE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION, COMPLETION OF REPORT, PUBLICATION DATES, AND OTHER ACTIONS.

The result of this information collection will be an online report that summarizes the data collected. The container availability data will be averaged per equipment type (i.e. 20ft, 40ft, 40ft high cube, and 40ft refrigerated containers) and presented by location spatially on a map as well as graphically and in tabular format. Standard deviation calculations may also be presented to show the variance between the carrier responses. No other calculations are planned at this time.

This report will be published weekly. The carrier data will be emailed to AMS on Wednesdays, an economist will gather, aggregate, perform calculations, analyze, and format the data on Thursdays and Fridays, the report will be published on the following Mondays.

17. IF SEEKING APPROVAL TO NOT DISPLAY THE EXPIRATION DATE FOR OMB APPROVAL OF THE INFORMATION COLLECTION, EXPLAIN THE REASONS THAT DISPLAY WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE.

The agency plans to display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection on all instruments.

18. EXPLAIN EACH EXCEPTION TO THE CERTIFICATION STATEMENT IDENTIFIED IN ITEM 19, "CERTIFICATION FOR PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT SUBMISSIONS," OF OMB FORM 83-I.

The agency is able to certify compliance with all provisions under Item 19 of OMB Form 83-I.

B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS.

-THE AGENCY SHOULD BE PREPARED TO JUSTIFY ITS DECISION NOT TO USE STATISTICAL METHODS IN ANY CASE WHERE SUCH METHODS MIGHT REDUCE BURDEN OR IMPROVE ACCURACY OF RESULTS. WHEN ITEM 17 ON THE FORM 83-I IS CHECKED “YES”, THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTATION SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE SUPPORTING STATEMENT TO THE EXTENT THAT IT APPLIES TO THE METHODS PROPOSED.

This information collection does not employ statistical methods.

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