Department of Commerce February 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NOAA publishes this notice to announce availability of the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Draft Human Dimensions Strategic Plan (FY2008-FY2013) for public comment.

As a result of the determinations by the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') and the International Trade Commission (``ITC'') that revocation of the antidumping (``AD'') orders on certain corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products (``CORE'') from Germany and Korea would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping; that revocation of the countervailing duty (``CVD'') order on CORE from Korea would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of a countervailable subsidy; and that revocation of these AD and CVD orders would likely lead to a continuation or recurrence of material injury to an industry in the United States, the Department is publishing this notice of continuation of these AD and CVD orders.

On August 8, 2006, the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') published the preliminary results and partial rescission of the ninth administrative review for the antidumping duty order on certain pasta from Italy. The review covers two manufacturers/ exporters: (1) Atar, S.r.L. (``Atar'') and, (2) Corticella Molini e Pastifici S.p.A. and its affiliate Pasta Combattenti S.p.A. (collectively, ``Corticella/Combattenti''). The period of review (``POR'') is July 1, 2004, through June 30, 2005. Further, requests for review of the antidumping duty order for the following companies were withdrawn: Barilla G.e.R. Fratelli, S.p.A./Barilla Alimentare, S.p.A. (``Barilla''), Moline e Pastificio Tomasello S.r.L. (``Tomasello''), and Pastificio Laporta S.a.s. (``Laporta''). We are rescinding the review with respect to Italpasta/Pasta Berruto S.p.A. (``Italpasta'')\1\ because Italpasta submitted a letter stating that it had no shipments of subject merchandise during the POR. See 19 CFR 351.213(d)(3). Finally, we are rescinding the review with respect to Pastificio Antonio Pallante S.r.L./Industrie Alimentari Molisane, S.r.L./Vitelli Foods, LLC (``Pallante'') because, since the initiation of the current review, the Department has revoked the order in part, with respect to Pallante, effective July 1, 2004.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (``USPTO'') proposes to amend 37 CFR 2.64 to require a request for reconsideration of an examining attorney's final refusal or requirement to be filed through the Trademark Electronic Application System (``TEAS'') within three months of the mailing date of the final action.

NMFS is closing the commercial fishery for small coastal sharks conducted by persons aboard vessels issued a Federal Atlantic shark permit in the Gulf of Mexico region. This action is necessary because the quota for the first 2007 fishing season in the Gulf of Mexico season has likely been exceeded. The commercial small coastal shark fisheries in the South Atlantic and North Atlantic regions are allocated separate quotas and will remain open until further notice.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Charter Halibut Management Stakeholder Committee will meet in Anchorage Alaska.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 610 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) for 48 hours. This action is necessary to fully use the A season allowance of the 2007 total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock specified for Statistical Area 610 of the GOA.

On August 8, 2006, the Department of Commerce published the preliminary results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain individually quick frozen red raspberries from Chile. The review covers seven producers/exporters of subject merchandise. We gave interested parties an opportunity to comment on the preliminary results. We have noted the changes made since the preliminary results below in the ``Changes Since the Preliminary Results'' section. The final results are listed below in the ``Final Results of Review'' section.

In response to requests from Mueller Comercial de Mexico, S. de R.L. de C.V (``Mueller''), a Mexican manufacturer of circular welded non-alloy steel pipe, and Southland Pipe Nipples Co., Inc. (``Southland''), an interested party, the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') initiated an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on circular welded non-alloy steel pipe from Mexico. See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews, 71 FR 77720 (December 27, 2006). This administrative review covered the period November 1, 2005, through October 31, 2006. We are now rescinding this review due to requests by parties to withdraw from the review.

Notice is hereby given that the State of Washington through the Governor's Salmon Recovery Office (GSRO) has submitted a Habitat Restoration Program (HRP) pursuant to protective regulations promulgated under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The HRP would affect ten Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) of threatened salmonids in Washington State. This document serves to notify the public of the availability of the HRP for review and comment before a final approval or disapproval is made by NMFS.

Notice is hereby given that Robin Baird, Ph.D., Cascadia Research, 218 1/2 W. 4\th\ Avenue, Olympia, WA 98501, has requested an amendment to scientific research Permit No. 731-1774.

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, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

As a result of the determinations by the International Trade Commission (the Commission) that revocation of the countervailing duty (CVD) orders on certain steel products from Belgium, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, and Sweden \1\; the antidumping duty (AD) orders on cut-to- length carbon steel plate (CTL plate) from Belgium, Brazil, Finland, Germany, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom; and the antidumping (AD) finding on carbon steel plate from Taiwan, would not be likely to lead to a continuation or recurrence of material injury to an industry in the United States within a reasonably foreseable time, the Department of Commerce (the Department) is publishing this notice of revocation of these CVD and AD orders and AD finding pursuant to Section 751(d)(2) of the Tariff Act of 1930 as amended (the Act).

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program (DARRP) is announcing new indirect cost rates on the recovery of indirect costs for its component organizations involved in natural resource damage assessment and restoration activities for fiscal year (FY) 2005. The indirect cost rates for this fiscal year and dates of implementation are provided in this notice. More information on these rates and the DARRP policy can be found at the DARRP Web site at www.darrp.noaa.gov.

Notice is hereby given that the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources 217 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, South Carolina 29412 [Responsible Party/Principal Investigator: Mark Collins, PhD], has been issued a permit to conduct scientific research on shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum).

In response to requests from interested parties, the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on wooden bedroom furniture from the People's Republic of China (``PRC''). The period of review (``POR'') for this administrative review is June 24, 2004, through December 31, 2005. This administrative review covers multiple producers/exporters of the subject merchandise, five of which are being individually investigated as mandatory respondents. The Department is also conducting new shipper reviews for two exporters/producers. The POR for the new shipper reviews is also June 24, 2004, through December 31, 2005. We preliminarily determine that all five mandatory respondents in the administrative review made sales in the United States at prices below normal value. With respect to the remaining respondents in the administrative review (herein after collectively referred to as the Separate Rate Applicants), we preliminarily determine that 39 entities have provided sufficient evidence that they are separate from the state-controlled entity, and we have established a weighted-average margin based on the rates we have calculated for the five mandatory respondents, excluding any rates that are zero, de minimis, or based entirely on adverse facts available to be applied to theses separate rate entities. In addition, we have determined to rescind the review with respect to 17 entities in this administrative review. See Partial Rescission section below. Further, we preliminarily determine that the remaining separate rate applicants have not demonstrated that they are entitled to a separate rate, and will thus be considered part of the PRC entity. Finally, we preliminarily determine that the two new shippers made sales in the United States at prices below normal value. 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 the importer-specific assessment rates are above de minimis. We invite interested parties to comment on these preliminary results. Parties who submit comments are requested to submit with each argument a statement of the issue and a brief summary of the argument. We intend to issue the final results of this review no later than 120 days from the date of publication of this notice.

NMFS revises regulations implementing the South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988, as amended (SPTA), to reflect the changes agreed to in the Third Extension of the Treaty on Fisheries between the Governments of Certain Pacific Island States and the Government of the United States of America and its annexes, schedules, and implementing agreements, as amended (Treaty). New provisions under the Treaty relate to vessel monitoring system (VMS) requirements, vessel reporting requirements, area restrictions for U.S. purse seine vessels fishing under the Treaty, and allowing U.S. longline vessels to fish on the high seas portion of the Treaty Area. These actions are intended to bring the United States into compliance with its obligations under the Treaty.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 610 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) for 48 hours. This action is necessary to fully use the A season allowance of the 2007 total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock specified for Statistical Area 610 of the GOA.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Whiting Committee Meeting in February, 2007, 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.

Notice is hereby given that Daniel P. Costa, Ph.D., Department of Biology and Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 has been issued a permit to conduct research on pinnipeds in Antarctica and California.

On January 30, 2007, NMFS published a final rule implementing 2007 specifications and management measures for Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish (MSB) and modifying existing management measures. The preamble to the final rule contains Table 1 announcing the specifications for Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish fisheries for the 2007 fishing year. Table 2 of the preamble to the final rule announces the trimester allocation of the Loligo squid quota in 2007. The headings to both tables inadvertently indicated that the specifications and allocation for 2007 were ``proposed'' rather than ``final''. This document corrects those errors.

This final rule will implement additional handling, release, and disentanglement requirements for sea turtles and other non-target species caught in the commercial shark bottom longline (BLL) fishery. These requirements increase the amount of handling, release, and disentanglement gear that are required to be on BLL vessels and are intended to reduce post hooking mortality of sea turtles and other non- target species consistent with the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This final rule will also implement management measures, consistent with those recommended by the Caribbean Fishery Management Council (CFMC) and implemented by NMFS on October 28, 2005, that prohibit vessels issued HMS permits with BLL gear onboard from fishing in six distinct areas off the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, year-round. These six closures are intended to minimize adverse impacts to Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for reef- dwelling species.