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

NMFS announces that the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has transmitted Amendment 17 to the Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Secretarial review. Amendment 17 revises the maximum fishing mortality threshold (MFMT) for Quillayute fall coho, revises the FMP to correct typographical errors, updates reporting measures to reflect new technology, and updates or removes other obsolete or unnecessary language.

The United States Department of Commerce's Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) publishes this notice to announce that the Director of the Census Bureau has determined the need to conduct the 2012 Annual Wholesale Trade Survey (AWTS). The AWTS covers employer firms with establishments located in the United States and classified in the Wholesale Trade sector as defined by the 2007 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Through this survey, the Census Bureau will collect data covering annual sales, e-commerce sales, sales taxes, purchases, total and detailed operating expenses, year-end inventories held both inside and outside the United States, commissions, total operating revenue, and gross selling value, for three components of wholesale activity: wholesale distributors; manufacturers' sales branches and offices; and agents, brokers, and electronic markets. These data are collected to provide a sound statistical basis for the formation of policy by various government agencies. Results will be available for use for a variety of public and business needs such as economic and market analysis, company performance, and forecasting future demand. The Census Bureau conducts the AWTS to provide continuing and timely national statistical data on wholesale trade. The 2012 AWTS is a separate collection from and is not part of the 2012 Economic Census.

On August 21, 2012, the Department of Commerce published the preliminary results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain small diameter carbon and alloy seamless standard, line and pressure pipe from Romania. The period of review is August 1, 2010, through July 31, 2011. We gave interested parties an opportunity to comment on the preliminary results, but we received no comments. The final weighted-average dumping margin for ArcelorMittal Tubular Products Roman S.A. is listed below in the ``Final Results of the Review'' section of this notice.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will convene open public meetings of the Board of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet).

The Department of Commerce (``the Department'') published its Preliminary Results of the antidumping duty order on certain activated carbon from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') on May 4, 2012,\1\ and we gave interested parties an opportunity to comment on the Preliminary Results. Based upon our analysis of the comments and information received, we made changes to the margin calculations for these final results and partial rescission of antidumping duty administrative review. The final dumping margins are listed below in the ``Final Results of the Reviews'' section of this notice. The period of review (``POR'') is April 1, 2010, through March 31, 2011.

The SEDAR 30 assessments of the Caribbean blue tang and queen triggerfish will consist of a series of workshops and webinars. This notice is for a webinar associated with the Assessment portion of the SEDAR process. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NMFS is implementing revised 2012 specifications for the butterfish fishery, which is managed as part of the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan. This action raises the butterfish acceptable biological catch (ABC) to 4,200 mt (from 3,622 mt), and specifies the butterfish annual catch target (ACT) at 3,780 mt, the domestic annual harvest (DAH) and domestic annual processing (DAP) at 872 mt, and the butterfish mortality cap at 3,165 mt. These specifications promote the utilization and conservation of the butterfish resource.

As a result of the determinations by the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') that revocation of the antidumping duty (``AD'') orders on silicomanganese from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') and Ukraine would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping, and the determinations by the U.S. International Trade Commission (``the ITC'') that revocation of these AD orders would likely lead to a continuation or recurrence of material injury to an industry in the United States, the Department is publishing this notice of the continuation of these AD orders.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (collectively referred to as the ``Services'' or ``we''), announce the reopening of the public comment period on our August 24, 2012, proposed rule to revise our regulations pertaining to impact analyses conducted for designations of critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (the Act). We are reopening the comment period to allow all interested parties additional time to review and comment on our proposed rule. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted, as they will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule.

As a result of the determination by the International Trade Commission (the ITC) that revocation of the antidumping duty (AD) order on silicomanganese from Brazil would not be likely to lead to the continuation or recurrence of material injury to an industry in the United States, the Department of Commerce (the Department) is revoking this AD order.

NMFS issues this temporary rule to increase the commercial annual catch limit (ACL) for yellowtail snapper, as requested by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). NMFS has determined that the commercial ACL may be increased from 1,142,589 lb (518,270 kg) to 1,596,510 lb (724,165 kg). This temporary rule will be effective for 180 days, unless superseded by subsequent rulemaking, although NMFS may extend the rule's effectiveness for an additional 186 days pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The intent of this temporary rule is to preserve a significant economic opportunity for the yellowtail snapper component of the South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery that might otherwise be foregone and to help achieve optimum yield (OY) for the fishery.

The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service (US&FCS) is amending notice for the Executive-Led Trade Mission to South Africa and Zambia scheduled for November 26-30, 2012, published at 77 FR 31574, May 29, 2012, to expand the eligibility to include U.S. trade associations and to set a new application deadline for trade association applicants only of November 12, 2012.

NMFS is closing the directed herring fishery in Management Area 1A, because 95 percent of the catch limit for that area has been caught. Effective 1200 hr, November 5, 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 1A until January 1, 2013, when the 2013 allocation for Area 1A becomes available.

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, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

The SEDAR 28 assessment of the Gulf of Mexico Spanish mackerel and cobia fisheries will consist of a series of workshops and supplemental webinars. This notice is for a webinar associated with the Assessment portion of the SEDAR process.

In June 2012, the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat, the EAC member country Governments, and the Government of the United States agreed to explore establishing a Commercial Dialogue as part of the U.S.-EAC Trade and Investment Partnership (``Partnership''). The U.S.-EAC Commercial Dialogue will be a consultative mechanism through which the United States, the EAC Secretariat, and EAC member country governments, will work to advance priorities that will strengthen the U.S.-EAC trade and investment relationship, as well as support the EAC's regional integration process. The Market Access and Compliance division of the International Trade Administration, through its Office of Africa, seeks public comment and recommendations concerning those areas upon which the Commercial Dialogue should focus its efforts in order to reflect the priorities and concerns of the business community, civil society, and other interested stakeholders. Proposed activities and areas of focus for the Commercial Dialogue are described in the Supplementary Information below.

NMFS announces approval of Amendment 98 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI Groundfish FMP); Amendment 90 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA Groundfish FMP); Amendment 40 to the FMP for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs (BSAI Crab FMP); Amendment 15 to the FMP for the Scallop Fishery off Alaska (Scallop FMP); and Amendment 1 to the FMP for Fish Resources of the Arctic Management Area (Arctic FMP). These amendments update the existing essential fish habitat (EFH) provisions in the FMPs based on a 5-year EFH review. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the FMPs, and other applicable laws.

NMFS announces the receipt of applications for, and the issuance of, exemptions to the prohibition of at-sea processing for non-whiting groundfish caught in the Shorebased Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program, a prohibition implemented as part of the trawl rationalization program.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issued a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) on September 28, 2012, seeking public comment on two conceptual presentations made at the inaugural Board meeting of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) as well as to invite input on other network design and business plan considerations. The comment deadline was November 1, 2012, at 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). NTIA has received several requests to extend the comment deadline from states and first responders that were impacted by the widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy. Therefore, NTIA issues this notice announcing that it is reopening the comment period and will accept comments responsive to the NOI until 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Friday, November 9, 2012. Comments received after the November 1, 2012, deadline until this notice is published reopening the comment period will be accepted.

The Joint Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Advisory Panel will hold a public meeting.

The Department of Commerce (the Department), as of September 2012, has rechartered the Civil Nuclear Trade Advisory Committee (CINTAC) and is seeking nominations for 40 members to be appointed for the new two-year charter term. The purpose of the CINTAC is to advise the Secretary of Commerce regarding the development and administration of programs to expand United States exports of civil nuclear goods and services in accordance with applicable United States laws and regulations, for use by the Department as chair of the Civil Nuclear Trade Working Group (CINTWG) of the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC).

On October 23, 2012, the United States Court of International Trade (``CIT'') sustained the Department of Commerce's (``the Department'') results of redetermination, pursuant to the CIT's remand order, in Shantou Red Garden Foodstuff Co., Ltd., v. United States, Slip Op. 12-133 (CIT 2012).\1\