Department of Commerce May 5, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Commerce (Department) is conducting a new shipper review (NSR) of Qingdao Sea-line International Trade Co. Ltd. (Qingdao Sea-line) under the antidumping duty order on fresh garlic from the People's Republic of China (PRC) covering the period of review (POR) of November 1, 2008 through April 30, 2009. As discussed below, we preliminarily determine that Qingdao Sea-line has made sales in the United States at prices below normal value (NV). Qingdao Sea-line has participated fully in the review and has demonstrated its eligibility for a separate rate in this NSR. The dumping margin is set forth in the ``Preliminary Results of the Review'' section below. If these preliminary results are adopted in our final results of review, we will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to assess antidumping duties on entries of subject merchandise during the POR for which importer-specific assessment rates are above de minimis. We invite interested parties to comment on these preliminary results. See ``Comments'' section below.

By this final rule, NMFS establishes fishery management measures for the 2010 ocean salmon fisheries off Washington, Oregon, and California and the 2011 salmon seasons opening earlier than May 1, 2011. Specific fishery management measures vary by fishery and by area. The measures establish fishing areas, seasons, quotas, legal gear, recreational fishing days and catch limits, possession and landing restrictions, and minimum lengths for salmon taken in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) (3-200 NM) off Washington, Oregon, and California. The management measures are intended to prevent overfishing and to apportion the ocean harvest equitably among treaty Indian, non- treaty commercial, and recreational fisheries. The measures are also intended to allow a portion of the salmon runs to escape the ocean fisheries in order to provide for spawning escapement and to provide for inside fisheries (fisheries occurring in state internal waters).

On February 17, 2010, the Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative (the USTR) renewed the charters of the 16 Industry Trade Advisory Committees (ITACs) and the Committee of Chairs of the ITACs for a four-year term to expire on February 17, 2014. The ITACs provide detailed policy and technical advice, information, and recommendations to the Secretary and the USTR regarding trade barriers, negotiation of trade agreements, and implementation of existing trade agreements affecting industry sectors; and perform other advisory functions relevant to U.S. trade policy matters as may be requested by the Secretary and the USTR or their designees. There are currently opportunities for membership on each ITAC. Nominations will be accepted for current vacancies and those that occur throughout the remainder of the charter term, which expires on February 17, 2014.

The Fisheries Finance Program (FFP or the Program) provides long-term financing to the commercial fishing and aquaculture industries for fishing vessels, fisheries facilities, aquaculture facilities, and individual fishing quotas (IFQs). The Program became a direct loan program, as a result of legislation in 1996, replacing a guaranteed loan program. The FFP collects loan principal and interest from loan recipients and fees from applicants in order to repay monies borrowed from the U.S. Treasury. It maintains fixed interest rates that are comparable to those of private sector lenders, however the FFP allows borrowers to prepay without penalty, and may carry longer repayment periods that are more advantageous to borrowers. The FFP does not make loans for new vessel construction or for vessel refurbishments that would increase harvesting capacity. Since the publication of its current regulations on May 1, 1996, the Program's authorizing statutes have been amended several times. However, the current regulations implementing the FFP have not been amended since 1996. Prior to the 2006 amendments to the FFP's statutory authorization, the 1996 rules for the Program were sufficient to implement the statute. The 2006 statutory changes have necessitated the current rules. In this action, NMFS amends our regulations to reflect the statutory changes to the Program, and to provide regulations for two additional lending products.