Department of Commerce – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is initiating a changed circumstances review (CCR) to determine whether Hyundai Steel Pipe Co., Ltd. (HSP) is the successor-in-interest to Hyundai Steel Company (Hyundai Steel) in the context of the antidumping duty (AD) orders on circular welded non-alloy steel pipe (CWP); oil country tubular goods (OCTG); welded line pipe (WLP); and large diameter welded pipe (LDWP) from the Republic of Korea (Korea).

This notice sets forth a new schedule and proposed agenda of a meeting of the Ocean Research Advisory Panel (ORAP) that could not proceed on February 26, 2024 due to technical difficulties. At this new scheduled meeting, the members will discuss issues outlined in the section on Matters to be considered.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that Speira GmbH (Speira), the sole respondent subject to this administrative review of the antidumping duty order on common alloy aluminum sheet from Germany, sold subject merchandise at less than normal value (NV) during the period of review (POR) April 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results of the review.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) finds that revocation of the antidumping duty (AD) order on truck and bus tires from the People's Republic of China (China) would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping at the levels indicated in the "Final Results of Expedited Sunset Review" section of this notice.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) published a notice in the Federal Register on April 1, 2024, in which Commerce preliminarily determined that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of frozen warmwater shrimp (shrimp) from Ecuador. Based on comments filed by interested parties in this investigation, Commerce is amending the preliminary affirmative countervailing duty (CVD) determination on shrimp from Ecuador to correct significant ministerial errors.

NMFS is proposing regulations under the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950, as amended, to implement Resolutions C-23-07 (Conservation Measures for the Protection and Sustainable Management of Sharks) and C-23-11 (On the Establishment of a Vessel Monitoring System) adopted by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) at its meeting in August 2023 in Victoria, Canada. This proposed rule would implement provisions of these Resolutions and would require U.S. longline vessels fishing for tuna or tuna-like species in the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) that have incidental shark catch to release sharks by leaving them in the water and cutting the branchline so that less than 1 meter remains on each animal. The proposed rule would also require large vessels fishing for tuna or tuna-like species in the EPO to make manual reports every six hours in the event of a malfunctioning vessel monitoring system (VMS) unit. This action is necessary for the United States to satisfy its obligations as a member of the IATTC.

NOAA and the Department of Interior (DOI) will hold the 48th meeting of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF). NOAA and DOI will be accepting oral and written comments.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on the extension and revision of an existing information collection: 0651- 0009 (Applications for Trademark Registration). The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment preceding submission of the information collection to OMB.

NMFS has reassessed the statutorily mandated findings supporting its January 19, 2021 final rule, "Regulations Governing Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Survey Activities in the Gulf of Mexico," issued pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as the estimates of incidental take of marine mammals anticipated from the activities analyzed for the 2021 final rule were erroneous. NMFS has corrected this error and considered and incorporated other newly available and pertinent information relevant to the analyses supporting some of the findings in the 2021 final rule and the taking allowable under the regulations. There are no changes to the specified activities or the specified geographical region in which those activities would be conducted, nor to the original 5-year period of effectiveness. In light of the new information, NMFS presents new analyses supporting our affirmance of the negligible impact determinations for all species, and affirms that the existing regulations, which contain mitigation, monitoring, and reporting requirements, are consistent with the "least practicable adverse impact (LPAI) standard" of the MMPA.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold three public hearings (one as a webinar) and accept written comments regarding an action intended to revise the species separation requirements in the Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on the extension and revision of an existing information collection: 0651- 0028 Fastener Quality Act Insignia Recordal Process. The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment preceding submission of the information collection to OMB.

NMFS has received a request from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for the reissuance of a previously issued incidental harassment authorization (IHA) with the only change being effective dates. The initial IHA authorized take of 10 species of marine mammals, by Level B harassment only, incidental to construction activities associated with the Port of Nome Modification Project in Nome, Alaska. The project has been delayed by 1 year and none of the work covered in the initial IHA has been conducted. The initial IHA was effective from May 1, 2024 through April 30, 2025. USACE has requested reissuance with new effective dates of May 1, 2025 through April 30, 2026. The scope of the activities and anticipated effects remain the same, authorized take numbers are not changed, and the required mitigation, monitoring, and reporting remains the same as included in the initial IHA. NMFS is, therefore, issuing a second identical IHA to cover the incidental take analyzed and authorized in the initial IHA.

This proposed rule would implement a set of management measures recommended by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) to ensure fishery impacts on California Coastal (CC) Chinook salmon, which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, remain within the conservation objective in the Council's Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan (Salmon FMP). Under the proposed rule, management tools (e.g., trip limits (also known as landing and possession limits) and inseason management) consistent with the provisions of the Salmon FMP would be used to provide greater certainty in avoiding exceedances of the conservation objectives for CC Chinook salmon.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that imports of brass rod from South Africa are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV) for the period of investigation (POI) April 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of brass rod from the Republic of Korea (Korea). The period of investigation is January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that imports of brass rod from India are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV) for the period of investigation (POI) April 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023.

In this final rule, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) makes changes to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to expand the scope of items that require a license for export and reexport to Iran; this rule also expands the scope of the Russia/Belarus/ Temporarily occupied Crimea region of Ukraine Foreign Direct Product (FDP) rule and the Iran FDP rule. Certain foreign-made items located outside of the United States are subject to the EAR because they meet criteria specified under one of the FDP rules under the EAR. This final rule expands the product scope of two of the FDP rules to make additional items subject to the EAR and imposes a license requirement when they are reexported or exported from abroad to Iran, Russia, Belarus, or the Temporarily occupied Crimea region of Ukraine. Prior to this rule, BIS had not controlled all foreign transactions involving items covered by this rule, but in light of recent events and the need to fully leverage EAR controls to address U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, these additional controls are now warranted under the EAR.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that certain non-refillable steel cylinders (cylinders) from the India are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The period of investigation (POI) is April 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023.

With this interim final rule (IFR), the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) amends the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to remove license requirements, expand the availability of license exceptions, and reduce the scope of end-use and end-user-based license requirements for exports, reexports, and transfers (in-country) to or within Australia and the United Kingdom (UK) to enhance technological innovation among the three countries and support the goals of the AUKUS Trilateral Security Partnership.

NMFS will hold a 3-day Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel (AP) meeting in May 2024. The intent of the meeting is to consider options for the conservation and management of Atlantic HMS. The meeting is open to the public.