Department of Commerce October 30, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Commerce (``the Department'') has received information sufficient to warrant initiation of a changed circumstances review of the antidumping duty order on certain new pneumatic off-the- road tires (``OTR tires'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC''). Specifically, based upon a request filed by Shandong Linglong Tyre Co., Ltd. (``Shandong Linglong''), an exporter to the United States of subject merchandise, the Department is initiating a changed circumstances review to determine whether Shandong Linglong is the successor-in-interest to Zhaoyuan Leo Rubber Co., Ltd. (``Leo Rubber''), a separate-rate respondent in the original investigation.

On April 9, 2013, the Department of Commerce (the Department) published in the Federal Register its preliminary results of administrative review of the countervailing duty (CVD) order on circular welded carbon steel pipes and tubes (steel pipes and tubes) from Turkey for the January 1, 2011, through December 31, 2011, period of review (POR).\1\ The Department preliminarily found that the following producers/exporters of subject merchandise covered by this review had de minimis net subsidy rates for the POR: (1) Borusan Group, Borusan Mannesmann Boru Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S. (BMB), and Borusan Istikbal Ticaret T.A.S. (Istikbal) (collectively, Borusan); (2) Erbosan Erciyas Boru Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S. (Erbosan AS) and Erbosan Erciyas Pipe Industry and Trade Co. Kayseri Free Zone Branch (Erbosan FZB), (collectively Erbosan), and (3) Tosyali dis Ticaret A.S. (Tosyali) and Toscelik Profil ve Sac Endustrisi A.S. (Toscelik Profil), (collectively, Toscelik). The Department has now completed the administrative review in accordance with section 751(a) of the Tariff of 1930, as amended (the Act). Based on our analysis of comments received, the net subsidy rates for Borusan and Erbosan, although revised, continue to be de minimis. The Department has also revised the net subsidy rate for Toscelik. Further discussion of our analysis of the comments received is provided in the accompanying Final Decision Memorandum.\2\ The final net subsidy rates for Borusan, Erbosan, and Toscelik are listed below in the ``Final Results of Review'' section.

This rule extends, pursuant to NMFS's emergency authority in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson- Stevens Act), the Georges Bank (GB) yellowtail flounder and white hake specifications for fishing year (FY) 2013 and the GOM cod sector carryover reduction that were published on May 3, 2013, which were implemented as emergency actions concurrently with the Framework Adjustment (FW) 50 final rule under the Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). These measures were scheduled to expire on October 30, 2013. Specifically, this temporary rule maintains the current Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) and Annual Catch Limit (ACL) for GB yellowtail flounder and white hake, and the 1.85-percent allowable carryover of unused FY 2012 GOM cod Annual Catch Entitlement (ACE) for sectors for an additional 183 days, i.e., through the end of FY 2013 (May 1, 2013, through April 30, 2014). The need for the emergency measures is unchanged, which is to establish FY 2013 catch limits for GB yellowtail flounder and white hake based upon the best available scientific information, and to reduce available carryover of unused FY 2012 GOM cod ACE for sectors. The intended effect of the emergency measures is to prevent overfishing on GB yellowtail flounder and GOM cod, and to incorporate the best available science into the management of white hake.

NMFS has received an application from the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Study of Coastal Oceans (PISCO) at the University of California (UC) Santa Cruz for an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to rocky intertidal monitoring surveys. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an IHA to PISCO to incidentally take, by Level B harassment only, marine mammals during the specified activity.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the Central Aleutian district (CAI) of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI) by vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access fishery. This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2013 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific ocean perch in this area allocated to vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access fishery.

The USPTO is proposing to eliminate the Patents Search Templates from the USPTO Web site. In 2006, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) implemented Patents Search Templates, which are United States Patent Classification (USPC) indexed search templates that were created to better identify the field of search, search tools, and search methodologies which should be considered each time an invention related to a particular USPC is searched. There are over 1200 search templates covering more than 600 USPC classes and subclasses. Historically, usage of the search templates by the public has been extremely low. Additionally, various aspects of the search templates, such as references to commercial database vendor information, are in need of updating. Further, the USPTO launched a new classification system, the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) system, in January 2013 that is based on the International Patent Classification (IPC) system. The CPC, a joint patent classification system developed by the USPTO and the European Patent Office (EPO), incorporates the best classification practices of both the U.S. and European systems. Since CPC is a detailed, collaborative, and dynamic system that will enable patent examiners and the public to efficiently conduct thorough patent searches, the search templates will become obsolete. Before eliminating the search templates from the USPTO Web site, the Office is requesting comments from the public.

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 2013 Annual Retail Trade Survey (ARTS). ARTS covers employer firms with establishments located in the United States and classified in the Retail Trade and/or Accommodation and Food Services sectors as defined by the 2007 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Through this survey, the Census Bureau will collect data covering annual sales, annual e-commerce sales, year-end inventories held inside and outside the United States, total operating expenses, purchases, accounts receivables, and, for selected industries, merchandise line sales. 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 ARTS to provide continuing and timely national statistical data on retail trade, and accommodation and food services activity annually.