Department of Commerce August 5, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils (Councils) announce their intention to prepare, in cooperation with NMFS, an EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act to assess potential effects on the human environment of alternative

This proposed rule would adjust the North and South Atlantic swordfish quotas for the 2009 fishing year (January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2009) to account for underharvests, and to transfer 18.8 metric tons (mt) dressed weight (dw) to Canada per the 2006 and 2008 International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) recommendations 06-03 and 08-02. In addition, NMFS proposes to include minor regulatory modifications and clarifications, eliminate an existing sunset provision in the Madison-Swanson and Steamboat Lumps time/area closure, and establish a small time/area closure in the Gulf of Mexico called the ``Edges 40 Fathom Contour.'' These changes could impact fishermen with a commercial swordfish, HMS Angling, or Charter/ Headboat (CHB) permit who fish for Atlantic swordfish.

In response to a request from United States Steel Corporation (U.S. Steel or Petitioner), the Department of Commerce (the Department) is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain hot-rolled carbon steel flat products (hot-rolled steel) from Thailand. This administrative review covers imports of subject merchandise produced and exported by respondent G Steel Public Company Limited (G Steel). The period of review is November 1, 2007 through October 31, 2008.

The U.S. Census Bureau (Census Bureau) is amending the Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR) to eliminate the requirement to report a Social Security Number (SSN) as an identification number when registering to file and filing electronic export information in the Automated Export System (AES) or AESDirect. Under the current regulations, the U.S. Principal Party in Interest (USPPI) or U.S. authorized agent residing or having an office located in the United States is required to enter an Employer Identification Number (EIN), SSN, or Dun and Bradstreet Number (DUNS) when reporting export transactions in the AES or AESDirect. An SSN is used as an identification number principally by filers who are individuals. DUNS are available only to business entities, and EINs are available to both businesses and individuals.

On March 24, 2009, the Department of Commerce (the Department) published a notice of initiation of a changed circumstances review of the antidumping duty order on frozen warmwater shrimp from Thailand to consider whether it is appropriate to revoke the order in part with respect to two companies, Phatthana Frozen Food Co., Ltd. (PFF) and Sea Wealth Frozen Food Co., Ltd. (Sea Wealth), pursuant to section 751(b)(1) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), and 19 CFR 351.216(b) and 351.222. See Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Thailand: Initiation of Antidumping Duty Changed Circumstances Review, 74 FR 12308 (Mar. 24, 2009) (Initiation Notice). Upon analyzing the information provided by the two companies, we preliminarily determine that PFF and Sea Wealth should be revoked from the antidumping duty order on certain frozen warmwater shrimp from Thailand.

NMFS is prohibiting retention of Pacific ocean perch in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary because the 2009 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific ocean perch in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA has been reached.

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.

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.