Department of Commerce October 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) and its advisory entities will hold public meetings.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published a notice of proposed rulemaking and a notice of proposed examination guidelines to implement the first-inventor-to-file (FITF) provisions the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA). The USPTO also conducted a roundtable to obtain public input from organizations and individuals on issues relating to the USPTO's proposed implementation of the FITF provisions of the AIA. The Office has received several requests for additional time to submit comments on the USPTO's implementation of the FITF provisions of the AIA. The USPTO is reopening the comment period to provide interested members of the public with an additional opportunity to submit comments to the USPTO.

NOAA Fisheries announces 7 inseason actions in the ocean salmon fisheries. These inseason actions modified the commercial and recreational fisheries in the area from the U.S./Canada Border to Cape Falcon, Oregon.

The Office of Competition and Economic Analysis (``OCEA'') of the 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 amended Certificate should be issued.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC), 8901 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, [Responsible Party: Lisa Ballance, Ph.D.] has been issued a permit to take green (Chelonia mydas), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), and olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) sea turtles for purposes of scientific research.

In this notice, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) announces that it will accept applications for the International Buyer Program (IBP) for calendar year 2014 (January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014). The announcement also sets out the objectives, procedures and application review criteria for the IBP. The purpose of the IBP program is to bring international buyers together with U.S. firms in industries with high export potential at leading U.S. trade shows. Specifically, through the IBP, the DOC selects domestic trade shows which will receive DOC assistance in the form of global promotion in foreign markets, providing export counseling to exhibitors, and providing export counseling and matchmaking services at the trade show. This notice covers selection for IBP participation during calendar year 2014. It also announces a new pilot initiative for the IBP, which will allow up to 20% of the 2014 IBP shows to be preselected for IBP participation in calendar year 2015 (January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015) without having to reapply for the second year. Eligibility for this pilot initiative is limited to annual trade shows that participated in the IBP in calendar years 2011 or 2012. Applicants interested in being considered for this pilot must indicate so in the application.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) is conducting an administrative review of the countervailing duty order on certain lined paper products from India. The period of review (POR) is January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2010, and the review covers one producer/ exporter of the subject merchandise, AR. Printing & Packaging India Pvt. Ltd. (AR Printing). We have preliminarily determined that AR Printing received countervailable subsidies during the POR.

NMFS announces 5-year reviews of Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtles under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). A 5-year review is based on the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review; therefore, we are requesting submission of any such information on these sea turtles that has become available since that has become available since their last status review in 2007.

We (NMFS) announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted. Accordingly, we will conduct a review of the status of this species to determine if the petitioned action is warranted. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we solicit information pertaining to this species from any interested party.

This notice sets forth the schedule of a forthcoming meeting of the DoC NOAA National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee (NCADAC).

The United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued an order granting interim extension under 35 U.S.C. 156(d)(5) for a one- year interim extension of the term of U.S. Patent No. 5,454,779.

In accordance with 5 U.S.C., 4314 (c)(4), Department of Commerce (DOC) announces the appointment of persons to serve as members of the Departmental Performance Review Board (DPRB). The DPRB provides an objective peer review of the initial performance ratings, performance-based pay adjustments and bonus recommendations, higher- level review requests and other performance-related actions submitted by appointing authorities for Senior Executive Service (SES) members whom they directly supervise, and makes recommendations based upon its review. The term of the new members of the DPRB will expire December 31, 2014.

In response to requests from interested parties, the Department of Commerce (``Department'') is conducting the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain kitchen appliance shelving and racks from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') for the period of review (``POR'') September 1, 2010, through August 31, 2011. The Department has preliminarily determined that New King Shan (Zhu Hai) Wire Co., Ltd. (``NKS'') did not sell subject merchandise in the United States at prices below normal value.

The Department of Commerce (``the Department'') is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain new pneumatic off-the-road tires (``OTR tires'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC''). The period of review (``POR'') is September 1, 2010, through August 31, 2011. The review covers one exporter of subject merchandise, Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co., Ltd. (``Zhongce''). We have preliminarily found that Zhongce made sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value.

In response to requests from interested parties, the Department of Commerce (the Department) is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain lined paper products (CLPP) from India. The period of review is September 1, 2010, through August 31, 2011 and the review covers 57 producers/exporters of the subject merchandise. We have preliminarily found that sales of the subject merchandise have been made at prices below normal value.

In response to requests from interested parties, the Department of Commerce (``Department'') is conducting the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain magnesia carbon bricks from the People's Republic of China (``PRC''), covering the period of review (``POR'') of March 12, 2010, through August 31, 2011. The Department has preliminarily applied adverse facts available (AFA) to the two mandatory respondents who both failed to cooperate to the best of their ability in this proceeding. The Department also intends to rescind the review of seven companies that certified that they had no shipments of subject merchandise to the United States during the POR.

The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is giving notice of a meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic, and Other Populations. The Committee will address issues related to the American Community Survey, Mixed-Mode Data Collection, and early 2020 Census planning. The Committee will meet in a plenary session on October 25- 26, 2012. Last-minute changes to the schedule are possible, which could prevent giving advance public notice of schedule adjustments.

NMFS is closing the directed herring fishery in Management Area 3, because 95 percent of the catch limit for that area has been caught. Effective 0001 hr, October 7, 2012, federally permitted vessels may not fish for, catch, possess, transfer, or land more than 2,000 lb (907.2 kg) per calendar day of Atlantic herring in or from Area 3 until January 1, 2013, when the 2013 allocation for Area 3 becomes available.

Below is a listing of individuals who are eligible to serve on the Performance Review Board (PRB) in accordance with the Economics and Statistics Administration's Senior Executive Service and Senior Professional Performance Management Systems:

Notice is hereby given that Dan Engelhaupt, Ph.D., HDR EOC, 5700 Lake Wright Drive, Norfolk, VA 23502-1859, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research on cetaceans and pinnipeds in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) for the commercial sector of black sea bass in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic through this temporary final rule. NMFS has determined that the annual catch limit (ACL) (equal to the commercial quota) for black sea bass will have been reached by October 8, 2012. Therefore, NMFS closes the commercial sector for black sea bass in the EEZ of the South Atlantic. This closure is necessary to protect the black sea bass resource.