Department of Commerce March 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS closes the southern area Angling category fishery for large medium and giant (``trophy'' (i.e., measuring 73 inches curved fork length or greater)) Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT). This action is being taken to prevent overharvest of the Angling category southern area trophy BFT subquota.

NMFS has received a request from the Alaska Department of Transportations and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to conducting improvements at the Tenakee Springs city dock and ferry terminal, in Tenakee Springs, Alaska. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to incidentally take marine mammals during the specified activities. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the issuance of the requested MMPA authorization, and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision

This interim final rule amends the National Security Industrial Base Regulations to add two new supplements. The new supplements set forth the process for how parties in the United States may submit requests for exclusions from actions taken by the President (``exclusion requests'') to protect national security from threats resulting from imports of specified articles. The new supplements also set forth the requirements and process for how parties in the United States may submit objections to the granting of an exclusion request. The supplements are being added to implement Presidential Proclamations 9704 and 9705 of March 8, 2018 (``Proclamations''), adjusting imports of steel articles identified in Proclamation 9705 (``steel'') and aluminum articles identified in Proclamation 9704 (``aluminum'') through the imposition of duties so that imports of steel articles and aluminum articles will no longer threaten to impair the national security. As set forth in the Proclamations, the President concurred with the findings of the Secretary of Commerce (``Secretary'') in two reports to the President on the investigations under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, of the effect of imports of steel and aluminum, respectively, on the national security of the United States. The Proclamations authorize the Secretary to grant exclusions from the duties upon request of affected parties if the steel or aluminum articles are determined not to be produced in the United States in a sufficient and reasonably available amount or of a satisfactory quality or based upon specific national security considerations. The President directed the Secretary to promulgate regulations as may be necessary to set forth the procedures for an exclusion process.

NMFS has received a request from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, (USACE) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to confined blasting in the East Channel of the Big Bend Channel in Tampa Harbor, Tampa, Florida. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to incidentally take marine mammals during the specified activities. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the issuance of the requested MMPA authorizations and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) has completed its administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain tissue paper products (tissue paper) from the People's Republic of China (China) for the period of review (POR) March 1, 2016, through February 28, 2017. We continue to find that Global Key, Inc. (Global Key) is not eligible for a separate rate and that Chung Rhy Special Paper Mill Co., Ltd. (Chung Rhy) had no shipments during the POR.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is rescinding the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on carbon and certain alloy steel wire rod from Brazil for the period October 1, 2016, through September 30, 2017, based on the timely withdrawal of the request for review.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that Euro SME Sdn Bhd (Euro SME), an exporter of polyethylene retail carrier bags (PRCBs) from Malaysia, did not have shipments of subject merchandise during the August 1, 2016, through July 31, 2017, period of review (POR).

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will hold a one- day meeting of its Shrimp Advisory Panel.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on a proposed extension of an existing information collection.

The New England Fishery Management Council's is convening an ad-hoc sub-panel of its Scientific and Statistical Committee to peer review two reports.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Study of Coastal Oceans (PISCO) at the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, marine mammals during rocky intertidal monitoring surveys.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that Giti Tire Global Trading Pte. Ltd. (Giti) and its affiliates as well as Qingdao Sentury Tire Co., Ltd. (Sentury) and its affiliates, manufacturers/exporters of certain passenger vehicle and light truck tires (passenger tires) from the People's Republic of China (China), sold subject merchandise in the United States at prices below normal value (NV) during the period of review (POR) January 27, 2015, through July 31, 2016.

On November 13, 2017, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) initiated an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain new pneumatic off-the-road tires (OTR Tires) from the People's Republic of China (China) for three companies. Based on timely withdrawal of requests for review, we are now rescinding this administrative review with respect to two of these companies: Maxon Int'l Co., Limited (Maxon); and Tianjin Leviathan International Trade Co., Ltd. (Leviathan).

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) has received requests to conduct administrative reviews of various antidumping and countervailing duty orders and findings with January anniversary dates. In accordance with Commerce's regulations, we are initiating those administrative reviews.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that The Stanley Works (Langfang) Fastening Systems Co., Ltd. and Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (collectively, Stanley), a manufacturer/exporter of certain steel nails from the People's Republic of China (China), sold subject merchandise in the United States at prices below normal value during the period of review (POR), August 1, 2015, through July 31, 2016. We are also not granting a separate rate to Tianjin Lianda Group Co., Ltd. (Tianjin Lianda).

The Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (``ACCRES'' or ``the Committee'') will meet April 3, 2018.

NMFS is publishing its final 2017 List of Foreign Fisheries (LOFF), as required by the regulations implementing the Fish and Fish Product Import Provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The final LOFF reflects new information received during the comment period on interactions between commercial fisheries exporting fish and fish products to the United States and marine mammals, and updates and revisions to the draft LOFF. NMFS has classified each commercial fishery on the final LOFF into one of two categories, either ``export'' or ``exempt'', based upon frequency and likelihood of incidental mortality and serious injury of marine mammals likely to occur incidental to each fishery. The classification of a fishery on the final LOFF determines which regulatory requirements will be applicable to that fishery for it to receive a comparability finding necessary to export fish and fish products to the United States from that fishery. The final LOFF can be found at: https:// www.fisheries.noaa.gov/foreign/international-affairs/list-for eign- fisheries

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit application submitted by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. This Exempted Fishing Permit would exempt participating vessels from the following types of fishery regulations: Minimum fish size restrictions; fish possession limits; and, in limited situations for research purposes only, retaining and landing prohibited fish species. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notice to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on Exempted Fishing Permit applications.

NMFS is reducing the Atlantic herring possession limit for federally permitted vessels fishing with midwater trawl gear in the Mid-Atlantic/Southern New England Catch Cap Closure Area, based on a projection that the threshold catch for the corresponding catch cap area has been reached. This action is necessary to comply with the regulations implementing the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan and is intended to limit the harvest of river herring and shad in the Mid- Atlantic/Southern New England Catch Cap Area.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies have been provided to producers and exporters of aluminum extrusions from the People's Republic of China (China). The period of review (POR) is January 1, 2016, through December 31, 2016.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 610 in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the B season allowance of the 2018 total allowable catch of pollock for Statistical Area 610 in the GOA.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (South Atlantic Council) and Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council) have submitted the For-hire Reporting Amendment for review, approval, and implementation by NMFS. The For-hire Reporting Amendment includes Amendment 27 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Coastal Migratory Pelagic (CMP) Resources of the Gulf and Atlantic Region (CMP FMP), Amendment 9 to the FMP for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery off the Atlantic States (Dolphin Wahoo FMP), and Amendment 39 to the FMP for Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Snapper-Grouper FMP). If approved by the Secretary of Commerce, the For-hire Reporting Amendment would establish new, and revise existing, electronic reporting requirements for federally permitted charter vessels and headboats (for-hire vessels), respectively. The For-hire Reporting Amendment would require a charter vessel with a Federal charter vessel/ headboat permit for Atlantic CMP, Atlantic dolphin and wahoo, or South Atlantic snapper-grouper species to submit an electronic fishing report weekly, or at shorter intervals if notified by NMFS, through NMFS approved hardware and software. The For-hire Reporting Amendment would also reduce the time allowed for headboats to submit an electronic fishing report. The purpose of the For-hire Reporting Amendment is to increase and improve fisheries information collected from federally permitted for-hire vessels in the Atlantic. The information is expected to improve recreational fisheries management of the for-hire component in the Atlantic.

The Science Advisory Board (SAB) was established by a Decision Memorandum dated September 25, 1997, and is the only Federal Advisory Committee with responsibility to advise the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere on strategies for research, education, and application of science to operations and information services. SAB activities and advice provide necessary input to ensure that National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) science programs are of the highest quality and provide optimal support to resource management. Time and Date: The meeting will be held Monday, 9 April, 2018 from 9:45 a.m. EDT to 5:00 p.m. EDT and on Tuesday, April 10, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. EDT to 11:40 p.m. EDT. These times and agenda topics described below are subject to change. Please refer to the web page www.sab.noaa.gov/SABMeetings.aspx for the most up-to-date meeting times and agenda. Place: The meeting will be held at The Westin DC City Center, 1400 M Street NW, Washington, DC. Status: The meeting will be open to public participation with a 15- minute public comment period on April 9 from 4:45-5:00 p.m. EDT (check website to confirm time). The SAB expects that public statements presented at its meetings will not be repetitive of previously submitted verbal or written statements. In general, each individual or group making a verbal presentation will be limited to a total time of three (3) minutes. Individuals or groups planning to make a verbal presentation should contact the SAB Executive Director by April 2, 2018 to schedule their presentation. Written comments should be received in the SAB Executive Director's Office by April 2, 2018, to provide sufficient time for SAB review. Written comments received by the SAB Executive Director after April 2nd, will be distributed to the SAB, but may not be reviewed prior to the meeting date. Seating at the meeting will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Special Accommodations: These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for special accommodations may be directed no later than 12:00 p.m. on April 2, 2018, to Dr. Cynthia Decker, SAB Executive Director, SSMC3, Room 11230, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MC 20910; Email: Cynthia.Decker@noaa.gov. Matters To Be Considered: The meeting will include the following topics: (1) SAB Biennial Work Plan: Discussion to Date and Discussion of Next Steps on SAB Biennial Work Plan; (2) Discussion of SAB Report on Arctic Research Review; (3) Discussion of SAB Report on Emerging Technologies for NOAA Ocean Research, Operations and Management in the Ecosystem Context; (4)Presentation of National Academy of Sciences Report: ``Thriving on Our Changing PlanetA Decadal Strategy of Earth Observations from Space''; (5) Presentation of Report from the Environmental Information Services Working Group (EISWG); (6) Updates to the Terms of Reference (TOR) for Climate, Data Archive and Access and Environmental Information Systems Working Groups; and (7) Updates from the Acting NOAA Administrator and Acting Chief Scientist.