Department of Commerce December 5, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration (ITA) is proposing implementation of a cost recovery program to support the operation of the U.S.-European Union (EU) Safe Harbor Framework. The Framework allows U.S. companies to satisfy the requirements of the EU's Directive on Data Protection when transferring personal information from the EU, thereby ensuring uninterrupted data transfers worth billions of dollars in trade between the EU and the United States. As the program has grown from 6 companies to nearly 1,700, so too have the requests from these U.S. companies for Safe Harbor-related services, including education, outreach, and counseling. ITA is responsible for managing the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor Framework for the Administration. In order to better serve ITA's clients, ITA is proposing to establish a two-tiered fee structure in which new clients would be required to pay a $200 registration (processing) fee and existing clients who renew their certification commitment to Safe Harbor would pay $100 each year following their initial certification.

On May 30, 2008, the Department of Commerce published the preliminary results of the seventh administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain polyester staple fiber from the Republic of Korea. The review covers the shipments of subject merchandise to the United States by Huvis Corporation. Based on our analysis of the comments received from interested parties, we have made certain changes for the final results. The final weighted-average dumping margins are listed below in the ``Final Results of the Review'' section of this notice.

This rule amends the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by adding additional persons to the Entity List (Supplement No. 4 to Part 744) on the basis of Section 744.11 of the EAR. This rule is the second rule to add persons to the Entity List on the basis of Section 744.11 of the EAR. These additional persons being added to the Entity List have been determined by the U.S. Government to be acting contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States. The first rule that added persons to the Entity List on the basis of Section 744.11 of the EAR was published on September 22, 2008 (73 FR 54499). The Entity List provides notice to the public that certain exports and reexports to parties identified on the Entity List require a license from the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and that availability of License Exceptions in such transactions is limited.

The Bureau of the Census (U.S. Census Bureau) is conducting the 2008 Company Organization Survey. The survey's data are needed, in part, to update the multilocation companies in the Business Register. The survey, which has been conducted annually since 1974, is designed to collect information on the number of employees, payroll, geographic location, current operational status, and kind of business for the establishments of multilocation companies. We have determined that annual data collected from this survey are needed to aid the efficient performance of essential governmental functions and have significant application to the needs of the public and industry. The data derived from this survey are not available from any other source.