Department of Commerce December 30, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS announces that the Commonwealth of Virginia is transferring commercial bluefish quota to the State of North Carolina from its 2010 quota. By this action, NMFS adjusts the quotas and announces the revised commercial quotas for Virginia and North Carolina.

The Foreign-Trade Zones Board (the Board) proposes to amend its regulations, and invites public comment on these proposed amendments. Through this action, the Board proposes to amend the substantive and procedural rules for the authorization of Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZs or zones) and the regulation of zone activity. The purpose of zones as stated in the Foreign-Trade Zones Act (FTZ Act or the Act) is to ``expedite and encourage foreign commerce, and other purposes.'' The regulations proposed here provide the legal framework for accomplishing this purpose in the context of evolving U.S. economic and trade policy, and economic factors relating to international competition. The changes are comprehensive and the proposed action constitutes a major revision. These revisions encompass changes related to manufacturing and value-added activity, as well as new rules designed to address compliance with the Act's requirement for a grantee to provide uniform treatment for the users of a zone. The new rules should improve flexibility for U.S.-based operations, particularly for most circumstances involving exports; enhance clarity; and strengthen compliance and enforcement. The revisions would also reorganize the regulations in the interest of ease-of-use and transparency.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) is rescinding the administrative review of the countervailing duty order on laminated woven sacks (sacks) from the People's Republic of China (PRC) for the period January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2009, with respect to Zibo Aifudi Plastic Packaging Co., Ltd. (Zibo Aifudi). Since Zibo Aifudi was the only party that requested a review and is the only producer/ exporter subject to review, this notice also serves to rescind the entire administrative review. This rescission is based on Zibo Aifudi's timely withdrawal of its request for review.

The Department of Commerce (United States Patent and Trademark Office) is accepting nominations for the National Medal of Technology and Innovation (NMTI). Since establishment by Congress in the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980, the President of the United States has awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation (initially known as the National Medal of Technology) annually to our nation's leading innovators. If you know of a candidate who has made an outstanding, lasting contribution to the economy through the promotion of technology or technological manpower, you may obtain a nomination form from: https://go.usa.gov/1dU.

On December 22, 2010, the Government of Mexico filed a First Request for Panel Review with the United States Section of the NAFTA Secretariat pursuant to Article 1904 of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Panel Review was requested of the final determination by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding Sales at Less Than Fair Value on Seamless Refined Copper Pipe and Tube from Mexico and the People's Republic of China. This determination was published in the Federal Register (75 Fed. Reg. 71070), on November 22, 2010. The NAFTA Secretariat has assigned Case Number USA-MEX-2010-1904-03 to this request.

NMFS issues this rule to implement an interim reduction to the 2010 harvest level for sablefish, issue revised quota pounds for individual fishing quota (IFQ) species, revise the calculation for the Pacific halibut trawl bycatch mortality limit for the trawl rationalization program; and adjust the trawl Rockfish Conservation Areas (RCAs) and landing allowances for non-IFQ species and Pacific whiting for the start of the 2011 groundfish fishery.