Department of Commerce – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Halibut and Sablefish Individual Fishing Quota Committee (IFQ Committee) will meet via web conference.

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of aluminum extrusions from Indonesia. The period of investigation (POI) is January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.

NMFS announces the final 2024 and 2025 harvest specifications, apportionments, and prohibited species catch (PSC) allowances for the groundfish fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to establish harvest limits for groundfish during the remainder of the 2024 and the start of the 2025 fishing years and to accomplish the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the BSAI (FMP). The 2024 harvest specifications supersede those previously set in the final 2023 and 2024 harvest specifications, and the 2025 harvest specifications will be superseded in early 2025 when the final 2025 and 2026 harvest specifications are published. The intended effect of this action is to conserve and manage the groundfish resources in the BSAI in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).

On January 22, 2024, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) published the preliminary results of the changed circumstances review (CCR) of the antidumping duty (AD) order on certain frozen warmwater shrimp from India. For these final results, Commerce continues to find that Elque Ventures Private Limited (Elque Ventures) is the successor-in-interest to Elque & Co.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) proposes revisions to existing regulations governing the confidentiality of information submitted in compliance with any requirement or regulation under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act; MSA). The purposes of these revisions are to make both substantive and non-substantive changes in light of amendments to the MSA under the 1996 Sustainable Fisheries Act (SFA) and the 2006 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act (MSRA) and amendments to the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (FMPA) under the 2015 Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act (IUU Fishing Act). NMFS proposes additional revisions necessary to address some issues that concern its application of the MSA confidentiality of information requirements to information requests.

On March 9, 2023, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) implemented the First-Time Filer Expedited Examination Pilot Program, which permits patent applications from certain micro entity first-time filers to be advanced out of turn for examination and reviewed earlier (accorded special status). The pilot program was originally scheduled to end on March 11, 2024. In view of the continued interest in the program, the USPTO is extending it until either March 11, 2025, or until the date on which the USPTO grants a total of 1,000 petitions since the start of the pilot program, whichever occurs first. All pilot parameters will remain the same as those for the original pilot.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of aluminum extrusions from the Republic of Turkey (Turkey). The period of investigation (POI) is January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) finds that producers/exporters of stainless steel flanges (flanges) from India did not make sales of subject merchandise in the United States at prices below normal value (NV) during the period of review (POR) October 1, 2021, through September 30, 2022.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, its implementing regulations, and NMFS' MMPA Regulations for Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Surveys Related to Oil and Gas Activities in the Gulf of Mexico, notification is hereby given that a Letter of Authorization (LOA) has been issued to Shell Offshore Inc. (Shell) for the take of marine mammals incidental to geophysical survey activity in the Gulf of Mexico.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that CS Wind Malaysia Sdn Bhd (CS Wind), a producer/exporter of utility scale wind towers (wind towers) from Malaysia, received countervailable subsidies during the period of review (POR) March 25, 2021, through December 31, 2021.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that certain producer and exporters of ripe olives from Spain received countervailable subsidies during the period of review (POR) January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Habitat Committee (HC) will hold an online public meeting.

The U.S. Department of Commerce preliminarily determines that imports of R-410B from the Republic of Turkey (Turkey), which are completed in Turkey using components originating in the People's Republic of China (China), and further processed in the United States, as specified below, are circumventing the antidumping duty (AD) order on hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) blends from China.

The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration (ITA), is announcing one upcoming business development mission that will be recruited, organized, and implemented by ITA. This mission is: Taiwan Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) & Counter-UAS (C- UAS) Business Development Mission-September 22-25, 2024. A summary of the mission is found below. Application information and more detailed mission information, including the commercial setting and sector information, can be found at the trade mission website: https:// www.trade.gov/trade-missions. For each mission, recruitment will be conducted in an open and public manner, including publication in the Federal Register, posting on the Commerce Department trade mission calendar (https://www.trade.gov/trade-missions-schedule) and other internet websites, press releases to general and trade media, direct mail, broadcast fax, notices by industry trade associations and other multiplier groups, and publicity at industry meetings, symposia, conferences, and trade shows.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, and implementing regulations, notification is hereby given that a Letter of Authorization (LOA) has been issued to the United States Coast Guard (Coast Guard), for the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to maintenance and repair at facilities in Alaska, over the course of 5 years (2024-2029).

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) finds that revocation of the antidumping duty orders on steel concrete reinforcing bars (rebar) from Belarus, the People's Republic of China (China), Indonesia, Latvia, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping at the levels indicated in the ``Final Results of Sunset Reviews'' section of this notice.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that seamless carbon and alloy steel standard, line, and pressure pipe (seamless pipe) from Ukraine was sold at prices below normal value during the period of review (POR) February 10, 2021, through July 31, 2022.

This notice advises the public that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking comments for the proposed revision of Voluntary Product Standard (PS) 20-20, ``American Softwood Lumber Standard.'' This standard, prepared by the American Lumber Standard Committee, serves the procurement and regulatory needs of numerous Federal, State, and local government agencies by providing for uniform, industry-wide grade-marking and inspection requirements for softwood lumber. The implementation of the standard also allows for uniform labeling and auditing of treated wood and, through a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, labeling and auditing of wood packaging materials for international trade. As part of a five-year review process, NIST is seeking public comment and invites interested parties to review the revised standard and submit comments.

As a result of this expedited sunset review, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) finds that revocation of the antidumping duty (AD) order on clad steel plate from Japan would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping at the levels indicated in the ``Final Results of Expedited Sunset Review'' section of this notice.

NMFS received a request from Turnagain Marine Construction (TMC) for the renewal of their currently active incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals incidental to the cruise dock construction project in Whittier, Alaska. TMC's activities consist of activities that are covered by the current authorization but will not be completed prior to its expiration. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), prior to issuing the currently active IHA, NMFS requested comments on both the proposed IHA and the potential for renewing the initial authorization if certain requirements were satisfied. The renewal requirements have been satisfied, and NMFS is now providing an additional 15-day comment period to allow for any additional comments on the proposed renewal not previously provided during the initial 30-day comment period.

Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) staff will provide an online briefing on the outcomes of the January 18-19, 2024, meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole.