Department of Commerce 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that imports of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) resin from the People's Republic of China (China) are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The final dumping margins of sales at LTFV are listed in the ``Final Determination'' section of this notice.

As a result of this first sunset review, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) finds that revocation of the antidumping duty order on xanthan gum from the People's Republic of China (China) would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping, at the level indicated in the ``Final Results of Sunset Review'' section of this notice.

The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration (ITA) is announcing three upcoming trade missions that will be recruited, organized, and implemented by ITA. These missions are:

Pursuant to provisions under Title IV of the Jobs Through Trade Expansion Act, and under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Department of Commerce announces the reestablishment of the Environmental Technologies Trade Advisory Committee (ETTAC), as of August 16, 2018. ETTAC was first chartered on May 31, 1994. ETTAC serves as an advisory body to the Environmental Trade Working Group of the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC), reporting directly to the Secretary of Commerce in his/her capacity as Chairman of the TPCC. ETTAC advises on the development and administration of policies and programs to expand U.S. exports of environmental technologies, goods, and services.

On September 10, 2018, the United States Court of International Trade (CIT or Court) sustained the final remand results pertaining to the countervailing duty (CVD) investigation on certain cold-rolled steel flat products from the Republic of Korea covering the period January 1, 2014, through December 31, 2014. The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is notifying the public that the final judgement in this case is not in harmony with the Amended Final Determination of the CVD investigation and that Commerce is amending the Amended Final Determination with respect to the CVD rate assigned to POSCO.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that imports of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin from Pakistan are being sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV), as provided in section 735 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act).

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that imports of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin from Indonesia is being sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV), as provided in section 735 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act).

The Acting Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit application contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. This Exempted Fishing Permit would exempt one commercial fishing vessel, which is authorized to fish in the yellowtail flounder fishery in international waters regulated by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization, from Northeast multispecies fishery minimum fish size regulations. The purpose of the Exempted Fishing Permit is to support a study to determine equivalent length and weight ratios from legal- sized, whole, fish to dressed, headed and gutted fish caught in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization yellowtail flounder fishery, and to the extent possible, the effect of the exemption on the marketplace. The only other U.S. vessel authorized to fish in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization yellowtail fishery may request, and be approved, to fish under this same EFP. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed Exempted Fishing Permits.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and the Alaska Board of Fisheries will meet October 17, 2018.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher/processors using pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the annual apportionment of the 2018 Pacific cod total allowable catch allocated to catcher/processors using pot gear in the BSAI.

The Acting Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit Application from the University of Maryland contains all the required information and warrants further consideration. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act require publication of this notice to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed Exempted Fishing Permits.

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) has received petitions for certification of eligibility to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance from the firms listed below. Accordingly, EDA has initiated investigations to determine whether increased imports into the United States of articles like or directly competitive with those produced by each of the firms contributed importantly to the total or partial separation of the firms' workers, or threat thereof, and to a decrease in sales or production of each petitioning firm.

NMFS adjusts the 2018 Winter II commercial scup quota and per- trip Federal landing limit. This action is intended to comply with Framework Adjustment 3 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan that established the rollover of unused commercial scup quota from the Winter I to Winter II period. This document is intended to inform the public of this quota and trip limit change.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that sodium gluconate, gluconic acid, and derivative products from the People's Republic of China (China) are being sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV).

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of certain quartz surface products (quartz surface products) from the People's Republic of China (China).

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.

We, NMFS, announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the cauliflower coral (Pocillopora meandrina) in Hawaii as an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The petition requested that the Hawaii population of P. meandrina be considered a significant portion of the range of the species, and that the species be listed because of its status in Hawaii. Our policy on the interpretation of the phrase ``Significant Portion of Its Range'' (SPR) under the ESA states that, before undergoing an SPR analysis, we must first find that the species is neither endangered nor threatened throughout all of its range. Therefore, we interpret the petition as a request to consider the status of P. meandrina throughout its range first. We find that the petition and other readily available information in our files indicates that P. meandrina may warrant listing as a threatened species or an endangered species throughout its range. Thus, we will initiate a global status review of P. meandrina to determine whether listing it throughout its range is warranted. If not, we will determine if Hawaii constitutes an SPR, and proceed accordingly. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we are soliciting scientific and commercial information pertaining to P. meandrina from any interested party.

Notice is hereby given that permits or permit amendments have been issued to the following entities under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as applicable.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Scientific & Statistical Committee to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will hold a meeting of its Mackerel Advisory Panel via webinar.