Department of Commerce June 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by adding twenty-nine (29) persons to the Unverified List (the ``Unverified List'' or UVL). The 29 persons are being added to the UVL on the basis that BIS could not verify their bona fides because an end-use check could not be completed satisfactorily for reasons outside the U.S. Government's control. In addition, this rule reinserts a requirement for exporters to file an Automated Export System (AES) record for all exports subject to the EAR involving persons listed on the UVL following that provision's inadvertent removal from the EAR. The UVL contains the names and addresses of foreign persons who are or have been parties to a transaction, as that term is described in the EAR, involving the export, reexport, or transfer (in-country) of items subject to the EAR, and whose bona fides BIS has been unable to verify through an end-use check. There is a suspension of license exceptions for exports, reexports, and transfers (in-country) involving a party or parties to the transaction who are listed on the UVL, and a requirement for exporters, reexporters, and transferors to obtain (and keep a record of) a UVL statement from a party or parties to the transaction who are listed on the UVL before proceeding with exports, reexports, and transfers (in-country) involving items subject to the EAR, but where the item does not require a license.

NMFS announces that the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has transmitted Amendment 18 to the Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan for Commercial and Recreational Salmon Fisheries off the Coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California (FMP) for Secretarial review. Amendment 18 revises the description and identification of essential fish habitat (EFH) for Pacific salmon, designates habitat areas of particular concern (HAPC), modifies the current information on fishing activities and potential measures to minimize their effects on EFH, and updates the list of non-fishing related activities that may adversely affect EFH and potential conservation and enhancement measures to minimize those effects. Amendment 18 is available on the Council's Web site (www.pcouncil.org).

NMFS issues this final rule to implement Amendment 20A to the Fishery Management Plan for the Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources (CMP) in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Region (FMP) (Amendment 20A), as prepared and submitted by the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf Council) and South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (South Atlantic Council) (collectively, the Councils). This final rule restricts sales of king and Spanish mackerel caught under the bag limit (those fish harvested by vessels that do not have a valid commercial vessel permit for king or Spanish mackerel and are subject to the bag limits) and removes the income qualification requirements for king and Spanish mackerel commercial vessel permits. The purpose of this final rule is to obtain more accurate landings data while ensuring the CMP fishery resources are utilized efficiently.

The SEDAR Procedural Workshop 7 will evaluate the shrimp data in the South Atlantic. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

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 (``the Department'') is amending the preliminary determination of the less-than-fair-value investigation of monosodium glutamate (``MSG'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') to correct certain ministerial errors.\1\ The period of investigation (``POI'') is January 1, 2013, through June 30, 2013.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) submitted Amendment 105 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI FMP) to the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) for review. If approved, Amendment 105 would establish a process for Western Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) groups and cooperatives established under the Amendment 80 Program (Amendment 80 cooperatives) to exchange harvest quota from one of three flatfish species (flathead sole, rock sole, and yellowfin sole) for an equal amount of another of these three flatfish species, while maintaining total catch below acceptable biological catch (ABC) limits for each species and below the sum of the total allowable catches (TACs) for all three species. This action would modify the annual harvest specification process to allow the Council to establish the maximum amount of flathead sole, rock sole, and yellowfin sole that may be exchanged based on social, economic, or biological considerations. This action is necessary to mitigate the operational variability, environmental conditions, and economic factors that may constrain the CDQ groups and Amendment 80 cooperatives from achieving, on a continuing basis, the optimum yield (OY) in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) groundfish fisheries. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, BSAI FMP, and other applicable laws.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (MAFMC) Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Advisory Panel (AP) will hold a public meeting.

With this final rule, NOAA re-establishes the process by which communities may submit applications to have NOAA consider nominations of areas of the marine and Great Lakes environments as national marine sanctuaries. Communities, in this context, are defined as a collection of interested individuals or groups (e.g., a friends of group, a chamber of commerce); local, tribal, state, or national agencies; elected officials; or topic-based stakeholder groups, at the local, regional or national level (e.g., a local chapter of an environmental organization, a regionally-based fishing group, a national-level recreation or tourism organization, academia or science-based group, or an industry association). Through this nomination process, NOAA is seeking to give communities an opportunity to identify special marine and Great Lakes areas they believe would benefit from designation as a national marine sanctuary. There is no requirement for who may nominate an area for consideration; however, nominations should demonstrate broad support from a variety of stakeholders and interested parties. This rule contains the criteria and considerations NOAA will use to evaluate national marine sanctuary nominations, describes the process for submitting national marine sanctuary nominations, and promulgates the regulations necessary to implement this action. If NOAA determines a nomination adequately meets the final criteria and considerations, it may place that nomination into an inventory of areas for the NOAA Administrator, as delegated from the Secretary of Commerce, to consider for designation as a national marine sanctuary. As such, NOAA is not designating any new national marine sanctuaries with this action. In issuing this rule, NOAA replaces the currently inactive Site Evaluation List with a new process for communities and other interested parties to work collaboratively and innovatively in their submission of national marine sanctuary nominations. The re-opening of the sanctuary nomination process was supported by the majority of the nearly 18,000 comments NOAA received on its proposed rule issued June 28, 2013.

Framework Adjustment 3 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan would establish a process for setting river herring (alewife and blueback) and shad (American and hickory) catch caps for the herring fishery. In addition, this action would set these catch caps for the 2014 and 2015 fishing years. This action is consistent with Herring Amendment 5, which addresses river herring catch and allows for river herring and shad catch caps to be implemented through a framework. This action would allow the Council to set river herring and shad catch caps and associated measures in future years through specifications or frameworks, whichever is appropriate. Catch of river herring and shad includes both bycatch (discards) and incidental catch that is retained.

This notice announces the date, time, and location of the public meeting being held prior to the 65th International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting.

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 (the Department) is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on polyethylene retail carrier bags (PRCBs) from Thailand.\1\ This review covers six companies. The period of review (POR) is August 1, 2012, through July 31, 2013. We preliminarily find that subject merchandise has been sold at less than normal value by the companies subject to this review. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

We, NMFS, announce a 12-month finding on two petitions to list the entire population of great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran), the northwest Atlantic population, or any distinct population segments (DPSs) of great hammerhead sharks, as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We have completed a comprehensive status review of the great hammerhead shark in response to these petitions. Based on the best scientific and commercial information available, including the status review report (Miller et al., 2014), we have determined that the species is not comprised of DPSs and does not warrant listing at this time. We conclude that the great hammerhead shark is not currently in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range and is not likely to become so within the foreseeable future.

The Office of Trade and Economic Analysis (``OTEA'') 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.

NMFS announces the renewal of permits to SeaShare, authorizing this organization to distribute Pacific salmon and Pacific halibut to economically disadvantaged individuals under the prohibited species donation (PSD) program. Salmon and halibut are caught incidentally during directed fishing for groundfish with trawl gear off Alaska. This action is necessary to comply with provisions of the PSD program and is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of certain crystalline silicon photovoltaic products (certain solar products) from the People's Republic of China (PRC). The period of investigation is January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2012. The final determination will be issued 75 days after the date of this preliminary determination unless otherwise extended. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.

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 (``the Department'') is conducting the third administrative review (``AR'') of the antidumping duty order on narrow woven ribbon with woven selvedge (``NWR'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC''). The AR covers 15 exporters of subject merchandise; the Department selected one company for individual examination. The period of review (``POR'') is September 1, 2012, through August 31, 2013. Because the Department received timely review request withdrawals for one company that previously received a separate rate, the Department is rescinding its review of this company. Additionally, the Department preliminarily determines that it will treat the sole company for which a review was requested and not subsequently withdrawn as part of the PRC-wide entity, which is subject to this AR. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.