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

The Department of Commerce initiated an administrative review of the countervailing duty order on hard red spring wheat from Canada, covering the period January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2004. See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews and Request for Revocation in Part, 71 FR 68535 (November 27, 2006). As a result of a timely withdrawal of the request for review by the Canadian Wheat Board, we are rescinding this 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 University of New Hampshire (UNH) for an exemption from Gulf of Maine (GOM) Rolling Closure Areas III and IV requirements of the Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP), for the purpose of designing and testing a raised footrope haddock trawl, contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. The EFP is intended to facilitate research that would lead to the development of a viable alternative to traditional fishing gear for landing haddock, while minimizing the impact on species of concern and other bycatch. 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 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 is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the B season allowance of the 2007 total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock for Statistical Area 630 of the GOA.

NMFS announces the aboriginal subsistence whaling quota for bowhead whales, and other limitations deriving from regulations adopted at the 2002 Special Meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). For 2007, the quota is 75 bowhead whales struck. This quota and other limitations will govern the harvest of bowhead whales by members of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission (AEWC).

Notice is hereby given that the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC) has submitted a Tribal Resource Management Plan (Tribal Plan) for NMFS to evaluate. It was presented by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) on behalf of the Northwest Indian Tribes; the submission fulfills the Tribes' obligations under the protective regulations promulgated for Puget Sound Chinook salmon and Hood Canal summer-run chum salmon under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Tribal Plan describes research and assessment activities that may affect listed Puget Sound Chinook salmon and Hood Canal summer-run chum salmon in Washington State. NMFS has completed a proposed evaluation of how well the Tribal Plan fulfills ESA criteria, and the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) is making that proposed evaluation available for public comment.

The Bureau of the Census (U.S. Census Bureau) is giving notice of a meeting of the Census Advisory Committee of Professional Associations. The Committee will address policy, research, and technical issues related to 2010 Decennial Census Programs. The Committee will also discuss several economic initiatives and demographic program topics, as well as issues pertaining to 2010 communications. Last minute changes to the agenda are possible, which could prevent giving advance public notice of schedule adjustments.

The National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) cancels the competitive California B-WET Program, Adult and Community Watershed Education in the Monterey Bay, for fiscal year 2007 due to insufficient funding.

Notice is hereby given of a meeting of the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee (Committee) in Arlington, Virginia.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by vessels catching Pacific cod for processing by the inshore component in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2007 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod apportioned to vessels catching Pacific cod for processing by the inshore component of the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain frozen warmwater shrimp from Ecuador with respect to 23 companies.\1\ The respondents which the Department selected for individual review are OceanInvest, S.A. (OceanInvest) and Promarisco, S.A. (Promarisco). The respondents which were not selected for individual review are listed in the ``Preliminary Results of Review'' section of this notice. This is the first administrative review of this order. The period of review (POR) covers August 4, 2004, through January 31, 2006.

On September 29, 2006, the U.S. Department of Commerce (``the Department'') published a notice of initiation of an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on small diameter seamless carbon and alloy steel standard, line and pressure pipe (``seamless line and pressure pipe'') from Argentina. The review covers one manufacturer/ exporter, Siderca S.A.I.C. (``Siderca''). The period of review (``POR'') is August 1, 2005, through July 31, 2006. Following the receipt of a certification of no shipments by Siderca, we notified the domestic interested party of the Department's intent to rescind this review and provided an opportunity to comment on the rescission. We received no comments. Therefore, we are rescinding this administrative review.

The Department of Commerce (``the Department'') is conducting an administrative review and a new shipper review of the antidumping duty order on certain frozen warmwater shrimp from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (``Vietnam''), both covering the period of review (``POR'') of July 16, 2004, through January 1, 2006. As discussed below, we preliminarily determine that certain respondents in these reviews (covering one new shipper review and sixteen companies subject to the administrative review) \1\ have not 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.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain frozen warmwater shrimp from Thailand with respect to 27 companies.\1\ The respondents which the Department selected for individual review are Good Luck Product Co., Ltd. (Good Luck Product), Pakfood Public Company Limited and its affiliated subsidiaries, Asia Pacific (Thailand) Company Limited, Chaophyraya Cold Storage Company Limited, Okeanos Company Limited, and Takzin Samut Company Limited (collectively ``Pakfood''), and Thai I-Mei Frozen Foods Co., Ltd. (Thai I-Mei). The respondents which were not selected for individual review are listed in the ``Preliminary Results of Review'' section of this notice. This is the first administrative review of this order. The review covers the period August 4, 2004, through January 31, 2006.

We, NMFS, announce the initiation of a status review for the cusk and solicit information on the status of, and threats to, the species.

NMFS is soliciting applications for American Samoa longline limited entry permit upgrades. Fourteen (14) permit upgrades will be available in 2007 for Class A vessel permit holders to upgrade to larger vessel size classes (B-1, C-1, or D-1) in the American Samoa pelagic longline fishery. The permit upgrades are available only to Class A permit holders who participated in the fishery before March 22, 2002, and the highest priority for receiving a permit upgrade will be given to the person with the earliest date of documented participation.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its advisory committees will hold public meetings in Anchorage, AK.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Ad Hoc Sector Omnibus Committee (Committee) in March, 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.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) is currently conducting the 2005-2006 administrative review of the antidumping duty order on heavy forged hand tools, finished or unfinished, with or without handles, (heavy forged hand tools) from the People's Republic of China (PRC). We preliminarily determined to apply adverse facts available (AFA) with respect to four companies which failed to cooperate to the best of their ability and failed to demonstrate their eligibility for a separate rate, as follows: (a) Hammers/Sledges and Bars/Wedges exported by Shandong Machinery Import & Export Company (SMC); (b) Axes/Adzes, Bars/Wedges, Hammers/Sledges, and Picks/Mattocks (``all four classes or kinds'') exported by Jafsam Metal Products (Jafsam); (c) Picks/Mattocks exported by Tianjin Machinery Import and Export Corporation (TMC); and (d) Picks/Mattocks and Hammers/Sledges exported by Shandong Huarong Machinery Co. (Huarong). We are also preliminarily rescinding the following 2005-2006 administrative reviews: (a) Axes/Adzes and Picks/Mattocks, with regard to SMC; (b) Axes/Adzes, Hammers/Sledges, and Picks/Mattocks, with regard to Iron Bull Industrial Co., Ltd. (Iron Bull); and (c) all four classes or kinds with regard to Shanghai Xinike Trading Company (Xinike). If these preliminary results are adopted in our final results of these reviews, we will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to assess antidumping duties on entries of subject merchandise during the period of review (POR) for which the importer-specific assessment rates are above de minimis. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results. We will issue the final results no later than 120 days from the date of publication of this notice.

On November 1, 2006, the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') initiated the first sunset reviews of the antidumping duty orders on certain welded large diameter line pipe (``welded large diameter pipe'') from Japan and Mexico, pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, (``the Act''). On the basis of notices of intent to participate and adequate substantive responses filed on behalf of the domestic interested parties and no response from respondent interested parties, the Department has conducted expedited sunset reviews of these antidumping duty orders. As a result of these sunset reviews, the Department finds that revocation of the antidumping duty orders would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping at the level indicated in the ``Final Results of Reviews'' section of this notice.

Export Trading Company Affairs (``ETCA''), International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce, has received an application to amend an Export Trade Certificate of Review (``Certificate''). This notice summarizes the proposed amendment and requests comments relevant to whether the Certificate should be issued.

NOAA Fisheries will hold a workshop to discuss the data and models that will be used in the upcoming stock assessments for sablefish and longnose skate.