Department of Commerce June 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NIST invites applications from eligible organizations in connection with NIST's funding up to eleven (11) separate MEP cooperative agreements for the operation of MEP Centers in the designated States' service areas and in the funding amounts identified in the Funding Availability section of this notice. NIST anticipates awarding one (1) cooperative agreement for each of the identified States. The objective of this announcement by the MEP Program is to provide manufacturing extension services to primarily small and medium- sized manufacturers within the States designated in the Funding Availability section of this notice. The selected organizations will become part of the MEP national system of extension service providers, currently located throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Regulatory Amendment 1 for the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery off the Atlantic States (Regulatory Amendment 1) as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). If implemented, this proposed rule would establish a commercial trip limit for Atlantic dolphin for vessels with a Federal commercial permit for Atlantic dolphin and wahoo. The purpose of this proposed rule is to reduce the chance of an in-season closure of the dolphin commercial sector as a result of the annual catch limit (ACL) being reached during the fishing year and to reduce the severity of social impacts caused by these closures.

The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, is organizing an executive-led Healthcare Business Development Mission to China with an emphasis on the Sector. The mission is proposed at the Deputy Secretary level with participation from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to ensure adequate access to Chinese government officials. The purpose of the mission is open access to Chinese government health officials and to introduce U.S. firms and trade associations to the Chinese Healthcare market as well as assist U.S. companies to find business partners and export their products and services to China. The mission is intended to include representatives from U.S. companies and U.S. trade associations with members that provide high end, innovative medical devices (especially imaging), healthcare technology equipment, innovative pharmaceuticals, hospital management or senior care management solutions, and medical education or training, hospital cooperation (i.e. management and education), as well as pharmaceuticals and senior care segments. Healthcare is an important issue for both the China. Today, China's annual healthcare spending is about $590.2 billion or 5.7% of its GDP. Commerce and health are not mutually exclusive, as workers become ill and as the cost of healthcare and insurance increases there is a direct impact on business through the loss of worker productivity and skilled workers, and reduced output. With fewer healthy workers earning incomes, businesses will also be harmed by decreased size and purchasing power of consumers. Families and individuals will be burdened with the impact of reduced incomes, increased health costs, and increased likelihood of long term care. As the world's two largest economies, how the two sides approach healthcare in the future has the potential to impact global macro-economic stability and future economic growth. In recent years China has prioritized the reform of its healthcare system, to ensure citizens have good quality and affordable care, especially given the trends in the population and the increase in various health issues. The aging population, chronic disease and lack of fitness for children create challenges and burdens on establishing an effective healthcare system. Incidence of non-communicable disease (NCDs) such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes has rapidly increased. Economic growth is also impeded because NCDs hit workers in their prime years of productivitycreating long term chronic conditions, withdrawal from the workforce, diminished family resources and early death. Tackling the prevalence and significance of NCDs is challenging. The causes are rooted in the universal trends of aging and rapid urbanization, demographic factors which will only increase in the future. Facing similar challenges and possessing common goals to achieve a successful healthcare ecosystem, the United States and China are well positioned to share experiences and find solutions to existing problems through uniting government and private sector forces at the intersection of commerce and healthcare. Areas of mutual collaboration in the healthcare could focus on improving patient access and services delivery, as well as areas of cooperation to benefit the health and lives of the population. As China reforms its' healthcare system and endeavors to create an innovative medical device and pharmaceutical industry it risks the alienation of foreign firms in the market. This trade mission will offer U.S. firms not only the opportunity to market their products and services, but also to explore ways that U.S. industry can support China's efforts to reform their healthcare system through win-win bilateral healthcare cooperation. The trade mission will include one-on-one business appointments with pre-screened potential buyers, agents, distributors and joint venture partners; meetings with national and regional government officials, chambers of commerce, and business groups; and networking receptions for companies and trade associations representing companies interested in expansion into the Chinese markets. Meetings will be offered with government authorities (such as the National Health and Family Planning Commission, China Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Services, and Ministry of Civil Affairs) that can address questions about policies, tariff rates, incentives, regulations, etc.

The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, is amending the Notice published at 80 FR 76657 (December 10, 2015), regarding the Subsea & Onshore Technology Trade Mission to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil October 19-21, 2016, to modify the selection process of applicants on a rolling basis starting immediately and until at least 10 participants are selected, with a maximum number of 15 participants. Applications received after July 25, 2016, will be considered only if space and scheduling constrains permit and participation fees must be paid by August 9, 2016.

On May 13, 2016, the Department of Commerce (the Department) published the notice of initiation and preliminary results of the changed circumstances review of the antidumping duty order on circular welded non-alloy steel pipe (CWP) from the Republic of Korea.\1\ In that notice, we preliminarily determined that Hyundai Steel Corporation (Hyundai Steel) is the successor-in-interest to Hyundai HYSCO (HYSCO) for purposes of determining antidumping duty cash deposits and liabilities. No interested party submitted comments on, or requested a public hearing to discuss, the initiation and preliminary results. For these final results, the Department continues to find that Hyundai Steel is the successor-in-interest to HYSCO.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) is implementing a pilot program to provide for earlier review of patent applications pertaining to cancer immunotherapy (``Cancer Immunotherapy Pilot Program'' or ``Pilot Program'') in support of the White House national $1 billion initiative to achieve ten years' worth of cancer research in the next five years (``National Cancer Moonshot''). The USPTO will advance applications containing a claim(s) to a method of treating a cancer using immunotherapy out of turn for examination if the applicant files a grantable petition to make special under the Pilot Program. The objective of the Pilot Program is to complete the examination of the application within twelve months of special status being granted. Under the Cancer Immunotherapy Pilot Program, an application will be advanced out of turn for examination without meeting all of the current requirements of the accelerated examination program (e.g., the requirement for an examination support document) or the Prioritized Examination (Track I) program. This notice outlines the conditions, eligibility requirements, and guidelines of the Pilot Program.

NMFS is prohibitingbeginning June 27, 2016, and ending August 31, 2016Federal longfin squid vessel permit holders from fishing for, catching, possessing, transferring, or landing more than 2,500 lb (907.2 kg) of longfin squid per trip and landing such squid more than once per calendar day. This prohibition is required by regulation because NMFS projects that 90 percent of the 2016 annual Trimester II seasonal catch limit will have been caught by the effective date. In addition, based on this determination, other restrictions regarding catch of longfin squid by federally permitted Illex squid vessels and buying longfin squid by federally permit dealers go into place. This action is intended to prevent over harvest of longfin squid during Trimester II.

In accordance with regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to Deepwater Wind Block Island, LLC (DWBI) to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to the installation of the Block Island Wind Farm (BIWF) Export and Inter-Array Cables.

The Hydrographic Services Review Panel (HSRP) will hold a meeting that will be open to the public. Information about the HSRP and the meeting agenda will be posted at: https:// www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/ocs/hsrp/meetings_cleveland2016.h tm.

NMFS is announcing a change in the dealer landings reporting methodology for Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) from use of handwritten and faxed landings reports to use of an electronic reporting system via the Internet. The online BFT dealer report system is now available, and NMFS has determined that expedited transition to this online system is in the public interest and necessary to maintain accurate reporting given issues with the software currently being used to process faxed documents. This rule specifies the effective date for use of the online system and elimination of the fax option. These requirements apply to all Highly Migratory Species (HMS) dealers with a valid Atlantic Tunas dealer permit issued under applicable regulations.

In January 2011, NMFS implemented the trawl rationalization program, a type of catch share program, for the Pacific coast groundfish fishery's limited entry trawl fleet, which includes an individual fishing quota program for limited entry trawl participants. At the time of implementation, the widow rockfish stock was overfished and quota shares were allocated to quota share permit owners in the individual fishing quota program using an overfished species formula. Now that the widow rockfish stock has been rebuilt, NMFS proposes to reallocate quota shares to initial recipients based on a target species formula that will more closely represent the fishing history of permit owners when widow rockfish was a targeted species. Through this rule, NMFS also proposes to allow the trading of widow rockfish quota shares, set a deadline for divestiture in case the reallocation of widow rockfish puts any QS permit owner over an accumulation limit, and remove the daily vessel limit for widow rockfish since it is no longer an overfished species.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), issue Endangered Species Act incidental take permits and help applicants develop conservation plans as a prerequisite to obtaining those permits. We announce the availability of and request public comment on a draft revision of our joint Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) Handbook, which describes requirements, procedures, and guidance for permit issuance and conservation-plan development. The HCP Handbook initially was released in 1996, and revised by addendum in July 2000.

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.

This final rule modifies the specifications for northern and southern red hake for fishing years 2016 and 2017. This action is necessary to implement the Council's recommended measures in response to updated scientific information. These final specifications are intended to help achieve sustainable yield and prevent overfishing on these two red hake stocks.

We, NMFS, announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list the smooth hammerhead shark (Sphyrna zygaena) as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We have completed a comprehensive status review of the smooth hammerhead shark in response to this petition. Based on the best scientific and commercial information available, including the status review report (Miller 2016), we have determined that the species does not warrant listing at this time. We conclude that the smooth 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.

NMFS announces the receipt of an application for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) from Puerto Rico's Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (PR DNER). If granted, the EFP would authorize the PR DNER to conduct two projects in waters of the Puerto Rico exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to collect fishery-independent data on the abundance, distribution, and reproductive condition of reef fish in eastern and western Puerto Rico. For the first project, the EFP would authorize the PR DNER to harvest reef fish by hook-and-line and bottom longline gear off both the west and east coasts of Puerto Rico. All reef fish, including undersized and seasonally prohibited reef fish species, would be retained, except for goliath grouper, Nassau grouper, and all species of parrotfish. The purpose of the EFP for the first project is to determine spatial and temporal variations in stock abundance of Caribbean reef fish resources off Puerto Rico. The second project in the EFP would authorize the PR DNER to collect various species of recreationally important reef fish by spear gun and hook-and-line fishing in Federal waters off the west coast of Puerto Rico. The purpose of the second project is to obtain information about the annual reproductive cycle and minimum size of sexual maturation of the collected reef fish species.

NMFS published in the Federal Register of June 3, 2016, a document proposing to designate critical habitat for the endangered Carolina distinct population segment of the Atlantic sturgeon (Carolina DPS of Atlantic sturgeon) and the endangered South Atlantic distinct population segment of the Atlantic sturgeon (South Atlantic DPS of Atlantic sturgeon) pursuant to section 4 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This correction clarifies what types of man-made structures are not included in the proposed designation.

On February 12, 2016, the Department of Commerce (the Department) received a countervailing duty (CVD) petition concerning imports of stainless steel sheet and strip (stainless sheet and strip) from the People's Republic of China (PRC).\1\ On May 6, 2016, the Department received timely allegations that critical circumstances exist with respect to imports of the merchandise under investigation.\2\ Based on information provided by Petitioners, data placed on the record of this investigation by the mandatory respondent, and data collected by the Department, the Department preliminarily determines that critical circumstances exist for imports of stainless sheet and strip from the PRC.