Department of Commerce January 8, 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE) will hold a public meeting on Thursday, February 1, 2018, from 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) and Friday, February 2, 2018, from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. ET. During this time, members will hear from Federal innovation and entrepreneurship policymakers and program executives and discuss potential policies that would foster innovation, increase the rate of technology commercialization, and catalyze the creation of jobs in the United States. Topics to be covered include increasing early-stage high-growth company exports, increased economic dynamism through innovation and entrepreneurship, apprenticeships in entrepreneurship and high-growth technology sectors, and alignment of federal innovation and entrepreneurship policies and programs.

NMFS issues this final rule to change the management of the Pacific whiting at-sea sectors' (i.e., the Mothership [MS] and Catcher/ Processor [C/P] sectors) allocations for darkblotched rockfish and Pacific ocean perch (POP) by managing the allocations as set-asides rather than as total catch limits, under the authority of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), and the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). This rule revises regulations in accordance with Amendment 21-3 to the FMP (see electronic access under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION) so that higher than anticipated harvest of darkblotched rockfish or POP that exceeds a sector's initial distribution of those species will not require automatic closure of one or more of the Pacific whiting at-sea sectors. This action is intended to reduce the risk of the Pacific whiting at-sea sectors not attaining their respective Pacific whiting allocations due to the incidental catch of darkblotched rockfish or POP causing early closure of those sectors. This action does not change or increase the risk of exceeding darkblotched rockfish or POP ACLs, because it also allows NMFS to close one or both of the Pacific whiting at-sea sectors via automatic action if the species-specific set-aside amounts plus the available reserve for unforeseen catch events, known colloquially as the ``buffer,'' are anticipated to be exceeded. This rule will ensure that the Pacific whiting fishery is managed in accordance with the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the FMP, and other applicable laws.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that citric acid and certain citrate salts (citric acid) from Thailand are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The period of investigation (POI) is April 1, 2016, through March 31, 2017.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is conducting the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on magnesium metal from the People's Republic of China (China), covering the period April 1, 2016, through March 31, 2017. Commerce preliminarily determines that Tianjin Magnesium International, Co., Ltd. (TMI) and Tianjin Magnesium Metal, Co., Ltd. (TMM) did not have reviewable entries during the period of review (POR). We invite interested parties to comment on these preliminary results.

NMFS proposes recreational management measures for a February 2018 black sea bass fishery. The proposed action is intended to provide additional recreational black sea bass fishing opportunities while maintaining management measures to prevent overfishing. This action is also intended to inform the public of these proposed measures and to provide an opportunity for comment.

This final rule is being issued to adjust for inflation each civil monetary penalty (CMP) provided by law within the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Commerce (Department of Commerce). The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended by the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 and the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, required the head of each agency to adjust for inflation its CMP levels in effect as of November 2, 2015, under a revised methodology that was effective for 2016 which provided for initial catch up adjustments for inflation in 2016, and requires adjustments for inflation to CMPs under a revised methodology for each year thereafter. The 2017 adjustments for inflation to CMPs to the Department of Commerce's CMPs were published in the Federal Register on December 28, 2016 and became effective January 15, 2017. The revised annual methodology provides for the improvement of the effectiveness of CMPs and to maintain their deterrent effect. Agencies' annual adjustments for inflation to CMPs shall take effect not later than January 15. The Department of Commerce's 2018 adjustments for inflation to CMPs apply only to CMPs with a dollar amount, and will not apply to CMPs written as functions of violations. The Department of Commerce's 2018 adjustments for inflation to CMPs apply only to those CMPs, including those whose associated violation predated such adjustment, which are assessed by the Department of Commerce after the effective date of the new CMP level.