Department of Commerce May 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Commerce (DOC), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on the continuing and proposed information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has developed and published patent search templates. Search templates define the field of search, search tools, and search methodologies that should be considered each time a patent application is examined in a particular classification. The USPTO is inviting public comment on the search templates.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Steller Sea Lion Mitigation Committee (SSLMC) Impact Evaluation Tool Development Subcommittee will meet in Seattle, WA.

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

NMFS apportions amounts of the non-specified reserve of groundfish to the Alaska plaice initial total allowable catch (ITAC) in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to allow the fishery to continue operating. It is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the fishery management plan for the BSAI.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) announces its intent to prepare, in cooperation with NMFS, an SEIS to assess the potential effects on the human environment of alternative measures for managing the small-mesh multispecies fishery pursuant to the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. This notice announces a public process for determining the scope of issues to be addressed and for identifying the significant issues relating to management of the small-mesh multispecies fishery. The Council will use the scoping process and the SEIS to develop Amendment 14 to the Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Small-Mesh Multispecies.

The Department of Commerce (``the Department'') published its preliminary results of administrative review of the antidumping duty order on polyvinyl alcohol (``PVA'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') on November 7, 2005. See Polyvinyl Alcohol from the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 70 FR 67434 (November 7, 2005) (``Preliminary Results''). The period of review (``POR'') is August 11, 2003, through September 30, 2004. We invited interested parties to comment on our preliminary results. Based on our analysis of the comments received, we have made certain changes to our calculations. The final dumping margins for this review are listed in the ``Final Results of Review'' section below.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS, National Marine Mammal Laboratory (Principle Investigator: Dr. Robert DeLong), Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, WA has been issued a permit to conduct research on California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris), harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), and northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) on the southern California Channel Islands, surrounding waters, and at haul-out sites along the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meetings of its Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology (SBRM) Committee in June, 2006 to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene its Ecosystem SSC via conference call to discuss planning of an ecosystem modeling workshop to be held by the SSC later in the year.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meetings of its Magnuson-Stevens Committee in June, 2006 to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene its Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) Selection Committee via Conference Call to select participants for SEDAR 12 for red grouper for recommendation to the Council.

NMFS announces an adjustment in the Atlantic bluefish commercial quota available to New York. This action complies with regulations implementing the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), which require that landings in excess of a state's commercial quota be deducted from that state's quota the following year. The public is advised that a quota adjustment has been made and is informed of the revised quota for New York.

NMFS announces that the Commonwealth of Virginia is transferring 100,000 lb (45,359 kg) of commercial bluefish quota to the State of North Carolina from its 2006 quota. By this action, NMFS adjusts the quotas and announces the revised commercial quota for each state involved.

In response to a request from United States Steel Corporation and Hylsa, S.A. de C.V. (Hylsa), the Department of Commerce (the Department) is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain oil country tubular goods (OCTG) from Mexico. The period of review (POR) is August 1, 2004, through July 31, 2005. We preliminarily find that Hylsa made sales of the subject merchandise at less than normal value (NV). In addition, we are preliminarily rescinding this review with respect to Tubos de Acero de Mexico, S.A. (Tamsa) because Tamsa reported, and we confirmed, that it made no shipments of subject merchandise to the United States during the POR. If these preliminary results are adopted in the final results of this administrative review, we will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to assess antidumping duties based on the difference between constructed value (CV) and the NV for Hylsa. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results. Parties who submit argument in this proceeding are requested to submit with the argument: (1) A statement of the issues, (2) a brief summary of the argument, and 3) a table of authorities.

On November 7, 2005, the Department of Commerce (the Department) published in the Federal Register its preliminary results in the countervailing duty (CVD) administrative review of certain in- shell roasted pistachios from Iran. See Certain In-shell Roasted Pistachios from the Islamic Republic of Iran: Preliminary Results of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review, 70 FR 67453 (Preliminary Results). The Department has now completed this administrative review in accordance with section 751(a) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). Based on information received since the Preliminary Results and our analysis of the comments received, the Department has not revised the net subsidy rate for Tehran Negah Nima Trading Company, Inc., trading as Nima Trading Company (Nima), the respondent company in this proceeding. However, we have made a change to the programs found in the Preliminary Results to be used by respondents during the period of review (POR), determining that the respondent company did indeed act to the best of its ability in responding to our questionnaire. For further discussion of our positions, see the ``Issues and Decision Memorandum'' from Stephen J. Claeys, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import Administration, to David M. Spooner, Assistant Secretary for Import Administration, concerning the ``Final Results of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review: Certain In-shell Roasted Pistachios from the Islamic Republic of Iran'' (Decision Memorandum) dated May 8, 2006. The final net subsidy rate for the reviewed company is listed below in the section entitled ``Final Results of Review.''

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Northeast Region, NMFS (Assistant Regional Administrator) has made a preliminary determination that the subject Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application from the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association (CCCHFA) for exemptions from the Georges Bank Closed Areas (CA) I and II, Western Gulf of Maine (WGOM) Closure Area, Cashes Ledge (Cashes) Closure Area, and Rolling Closure Areas III and IV, as well as the GB hook gear restrictions, for the purposes of tagging haddock, contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. The Assistant Regional Administrator has also made a preliminary determination that the activities authorized under the EFP would be consistent with the goals and objectives of the Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). However, further review and consultation may be necessary before a final determination is made to issue the EFP. Therefore, NMFS announces that the Assistant Regional Administrator proposes to issue an EFP that would allow vessels to conduct fishing operations that are otherwise restricted by the regulations governing the fisheries of the Northeastern United States. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed EFPs.

NMFS has received an application from Conoco Phillips Alaska, Inc, (Conoco) for an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take small numbers of marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to conducting open-water seismic data aquisition in the Chukchi Sea during the summer of 2006. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an authorization to Conoco to incidentally take, by harassment, small numbers of several species of marine mammals during the seismic survey.

The Department of Commerce is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on granular polytetrafluoroethylene resin (PTFE) from Japan manufactured and exported by Asahi Glass Fluoropolymers, Ltd. (Asahi), in response to a request from Asahi. This review covers the period August 1, 2004, through September 30, 2005. We have preliminarily determined that Asahi sold the subject merchandise to the United States at prices below normal value during the period of review. We invite interested parties to comment on these preliminary results.

On May 2, 2005, the Department of Commerce (the Department) initiated its sunset reviews of the antidumping duty orders on small diameter seamless standard, line, and pressure pipe (seamless pipe) from the Czech Republic, Japan, Romania and South Africa. See Initiation of Five-year (``Sunset'') Reviews, 70 FR 22632 (May 2, 2005). Pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), the International Trade Commission (the Commission) in its sunset reviews determined that revocation of the orders on seamless pipe from the Czech Republic and South Africa would not be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury to an industry in the United States within a reasonably foreseeable time. See Carbon and Alloy Seamless Standard, Line, and Pressure Pipe From the Czech Republic, Japan, Mexico, Romania, and South Africa, 71 FR 24860 (April 27, 2006). Therefore, pursuant to section 751(d)(2) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.222(i)(1)(iii), the Department is revoking the antidumping duty orders on seamless pipe from the Czech Republic and South Africa.

On May 2, 2005, the Department of Commerce (the Department) initiated its sunset reviews of the antidumping duty orders on certain large diameter seamless standard, line, and pressure pipe (seamless pipe) from Japan and Mexico. See Initiation of Five-year (``Sunset'') Reviews, 70 FR 22632 (May 2, 2005). Pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), the International Trade Commission (the Commission), in its sunset reviews, determined that revocation of the order on seamless pipe from Mexico would not be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury to an industry in the United States within a reasonably foreseeable time. See Carbon and Alloy Seamless Standard, Line, and Pressure Pipe From the Czech Republic, Japan, Mexico, Romania, and South Africa, 71 FR 24860 (April 27, 2006). Therefore, pursuant to section 751(d)(2) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.222(i)(1)(iii), the Department is revoking the antidumping duty order on seamless pipe from Mexico.

Please note that the Secretary of Commerce, with the concurrence of the General Services Administration, has renewed the Charter for the National Medal of Technology Nomination Evaluation Committee on March 17, 2006. It has been determined that the Committee is necessary and in the public interest.