2024 BE-10 Proposed Changes

June 21, 2024
PROPOSED CHANGES FOR THE 2024 BE‐10,
BENCHMARK SURVEY OF FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN THE UNITED STATES
The proposed changes to the benchmark survey, described below, include the addition, deletion, and
modification of specific data items on the survey forms. The changes are intended to minimize
respondent burden while considering the needs of data users. In addition, BEA plans to make
improvements to question wording, instructions, and formatting to elicit more complete and correct
responses and to make the survey more consistent with other BEA surveys. There will be no change to
the reporting thresholds of the survey from the previous benchmark survey in 2019.
Additions and modifications
The following questions will be added to, or modified on, the 2024 BE-10 survey. Draft text of the new
or modified questions is provided on pages 3-5 of this document.
1. A question will be added to the Employment section of the BE-10A form to collect data on
employees who are on the payroll of the U.S. company but live overseas on a permanent basis.
This would include full and part-time employees that work for a foreign affiliate but are paid by
the U.S. parent company, and those employees that were hired, or moved, abroad to fill a
remote-work position offered by the U.S. parent.
2. A question will be added to the Assets section of the BE-10C form to collect equity investment in
other foreign affiliates, consistent with the BE-10B form. This will be used to collect more
complete and accurate ownership data which are used in BEA research projects, including
Ultimate Host Economy.
3. The Supplement A will be modified on the BE-10B and C forms to offer more options for the
reasons the foreign business enterprises changed since last report, such as options for
“acquired” or “established” if it is a “New” enterprise, and to identify the date of the transaction
for new enterprises. This information will aid in referring entities to the BE-577, Quarterly
Survey of U.S Direct Investment Abroad and in analyzing and verifying changes to equity
investment and income from equity investment in other foreign affiliates.
4. Question 109 collecting advertising sales data on the BE-10B form will be expanded to capture
additional sales data by customer. This is one of the service types where there is no clear link
between the industry of sales and the type of services supplied. Collecting this additional
information will contribute to BEA’s efforts to develop a more complete and consistent picture
of the types of services supplied by U.S. companies worldwide, by all four modes of supply.
5. Questions on services provided via digital intermediation platforms collected on the BE-10A
(items 60-62) and BE-10B (item 108), and questions on digital delivery and digital ordering
collected on the BE-10A (items 63-65) and BE-10B forms (items 110 – 112) will be modified to

more accurately reflect terminology used by BEA survey respondents, and to contribute to BEA’s
efforts to measure the digital economy.

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2024 BE‐10, Benchmark Survey of U.S. Direct Investment Abroad
TEXT OF NEW OR MODIFIED QUESTIONS
1. Employment (addition on the BE‐10A form)
What is the number of employees reported in 54 that are included on the U.S. Reporter’s
Payroll, but live overseas on a permanent basis?

2. Supplement A (modification on the BE‐10B and C forms)
If the foreign affiliate
has had a corporate
change since last
report, please select
the change type. If
newly acquired or
established, specify.

If foreign
affiliate is
new since
last report,
please enter
the date the
foreign
business
enterprise
was acquired
or
established

Name of each
foreign affiliate, as
taken from 2 of
the Form BE-10B
or BE-10C, or as
listed on Form BE10D, in which the
reporting affiliate
holds a direct
equity interest
(1)

Affiliate
identification
number provided
by BEA, of each
foreign affiliate
in column (1)
(2)

BEA USE
ONLY
(3)

Percentage of direct ownership
in the foreign affiliate listed in
column (1) held by the foreign
affiliate named in the
Identification block above (Enter
percentage to the nearest
tenth.)
(4)

Name Changed
Sold
Merged
Liquidated New—
Acquired New—
Established

3. Equity Investment (addition of item on BE‐10C)
ASSETS
Equity investment in other foreign affiliates in which this affiliate is a parent…………….

4. Advertising Revenue (modification on the BE‐10B)
Section C —Advertising Revenue
Sales or gross operating revenues reported in this section should be included in the total for sales of services reported in 94.
Advertising services cover the preparation and placement of ads in print, broadcast, or digital media, including charges for
media space and time.
102 Revenue? – Sum of 103 through 106
103 From the U.S. Reporter(s)?
104 From other U.S. persons?
105 From other foreign affiliate(s) of the U.S. Reporter(s)?
106 From other foreign persons?

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5. Digital Economy (modification on the BE‐10A and BE‐10B forms)
DIGITAL ORDERING: SALES OF GOODS AND SERVICES ORDERED VIA E‐COMMERCE
E‐Commerce refers to the sale of goods or services over a computer network via your company’s websites or
applications, online marketplaces, an extranet, electronic data interchange (EDI), or by other electronic methods
specifically designed for the purpose of placing or negotiating orders. E-commerce occurs when the buyer places
an order or the price and terms of the sale are negotiated over computer networks regardless of how payment is
made. It excludes sales ordered in-person or via telephone, fax, video conference, manually typed emails or post.
E‐Commerce Sales of Goods
D1 Did you report sales of goods in 54 ?

Yes No

D2 If you reported Yes for D1 , were any of those sales of goods e-commerce sales?

Yes No

D3 If you reported Yes for D2 , what percentage of sales of goods in 54 were e-commerce sales?
E‐Commerce Sales of Services
D4 Did you report sales of services in 55 ?

Yes No

D5 If you reported Yes for D4 , were any of those sales of services e-commerce sales?

Yes No

D6 If you reported Yes for D5 , what percentage of sales of services in 55 were e-commerce sales?

DIGITAL DELIVERY: SALES OF SERVICES PROVIDED REMOTELY VIA ICT NETWORKS
Remote delivery covers delivery over information and communications technology (ICT) networks, including the Internet (for
example, via a website, a digital platform, or an application), an extranet, e-mail, telephone, fax, or video conference.
Excludes non-digital methods of delivery such as in-person or postal delivery.
Information and communications technology (ICT) networks include the Internet (including via a website, a digital
platform, an application, or other method designed for the purpose of providing the service), an extranet,
telephone, fax, or video conference.
D7 Did you report sales of services in 55 ?

Yes No

D8 If you reported Yes for D7 , were any of those sales provided remotely via ICT networks?

Yes No

D9 If you reported Yes for D8 , what percentage of sales in 55 were provided remotely via ICT networks?

DIGITAL INTERMEDIATION PLATFORMS
Digital intermediation platform — an online fee-based marketplace that connects multiple buyers and multiple sellers. The
platform does not take economic ownership of the goods nor does it provide the services that are being sold. Fees, both
explicit and implicit, may be charged to either the seller, the buyer, or both. Examples of digital intermediation platforms
include, but are not limited to:
•

A platform that facilitates the sale of goods by a third party manufacturer or retailer to a consumer.
For example, a consumer buys a pair of shoes from a manufacturer through your online
marketplace.

•

A platform that facilitates the on-demand distribution of digital media content (i.e., movies, music,
books, or apps) to consumers for which the platform does not hold rights. For example, a consumer
purchases an app developed by a third party, for which you do not own rights, through your online
marketplace.

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•

•

A platform that facilitates transactions between individuals to share resources such as automobiles
(i.e., rides), accommodations, or other durable items. For example, a homeowner offers his vacation
home to consumers through your online marketplace.
A platform that facilitates transactions between freelance service providers and businesses or
consumers. For example, a small business contracts with a freelance graphic designer, through your
online marketplace, to create a new logo.

D10 Does the U.S. Reporter/foreign affiliate operate a digital intermediation platform?

O Yes O No

D11 What are the U.S. Reporter’s/foreign affiliate’s sales or gross operating revenues from operating a digital intermediation platform?
Report fees and commissions only, not the value of the goods or services sold on the platform.

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