Department of Commerce November 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of certain collated steel staples (collated staples) from the People's Republic of China (China) for the period of investigation (POI) January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.

Notice is hereby given that Robert Wayne, University of California Los Angeles, 610 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095, has applied in due form for a permit to receive, import, and export marine mammal parts for scientific research.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of uncoated paper from Indonesia during the period of review (POR) January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda for a meeting of the Civil Nuclear Trade Advisory Committee (CINTAC). This notice amends a previous notice published in the Federal Register on October 28, 2019. This amended notice cites the specific exemptions of the Government in the Sunshine Act, as the basis for partial closure of the previously noticed meeting.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that sodium sulfate anhydrous (sodium sulfate) from Canada is being, or is likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The period of investigation (POI) is January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.

Participants in the Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council's) 2019 groundfish stock assessment process will hold a meeting via webinar to review and evaluate the 2019 stock assessment review (STAR) process. The goal of the webinar is to solicit process improvements to recommend for future groundfish stock assessments and STAR panel reviews. Process recommendations will be provided to the Pacific Council at their March 2020 meeting in Rohnert Park, CA. The webinar meeting is open to the public.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is rescinding the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain cold- drawn mechanical tubing of carbon and alloy steel (cold-drawn mechanical tubing) from Switzerland for the period of review November 22, 2017, through May 31, 2019.

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.

NMFS seeks comments on this proposed rule issued under authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (WCPFCIA) and the Tuna Conventions Act. The proposed rule would revise the management regime for fishing vessels that target tunas and other highly migratory fish species (HMS) in the area of overlapping jurisdiction in the Pacific Ocean between the Inter- American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) and the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPFC). The proposed rule would apply all regulations implementing IATTC resolutions in the area of overlapping jurisdiction. Under this proposed rule, regulations implementing WCPFC decisions on catch and fishing effort limits, bycatch mitigation measures, and associated reporting requirements would no longer apply in the area of overlapping jurisdiction. However, regulations implementing WCPFC management measures related to monitoring, control, and surveillance would continue to apply in the area of overlapping jurisdiction. NMFS is undertaking this action based on an evaluation of the management regime in the area of overlapping jurisdiction, in order to satisfy the obligations of the United States as member of the IATTC and the WCPFC, pursuant to the authority of the WCPFCIA and the Tuna Conventions Act.

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 Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO) to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, marine mammals during a low-energy marine geophysical survey in the South Atlantic Ocean.

NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amount of Pacific cod total allowable catch (TAC) from trawl catcher vessels and vessels using jig gear to catcher/processors using pot gear and catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 meters) length overall (LOA) using hook-and- line or pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area. This action is necessary to allow the 2019 TAC of Pacific cod to be harvested.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that the producer/exporter subject to this review made sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value during the period of review (POR) September 1, 2017 through August 31, 2018.

NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is transferring a portion of its 2019 commercial summer flounder quota to the State of Connecticut. This quota adjustment is necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised commercial quotas for North Carolina and Connecticut.

NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amounts of Pacific cod total allowable catch (TAC) from catcher vessels using trawl gear to catcher vessels using hook-and-line gear, catcher/processors using trawl gear, vessels using jig gear, and vessels using pot gear in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to allow the 2019 TAC of Pacific cod in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA to be harvested.

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit renewal application from the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. This permit would facilitate research on the abundance and distribution of juvenile American lobster and Jonah crab along the northwest Atlantic coast. 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.

As a result of these expedited sunset reviews, Commerce finds that revocation of the antidumping duty orders would be likely to lead to the continuation or recurrence of dumping at the levels indicated in the ``Final Results of Review'' section of this notice.

As a result of this expedited sunset review, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) finds that revocation of the countervailing duty order on polyethylene terephthalate film, sheet, and strip (PET film) from India would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of countervailable subsidies as indicated in the ``Final Results of Sunset Review'' section of this notice.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, BEA announces a meeting of the Bureau of Economic Analysis Advisory Committee. The meeting will address proposed improvements, extensions, and research related to BEA's economic accounts. In addition, the meeting will include an update on recent statistical developments.

NMFS reopens the comment period on the proposed rule to implement the New England Fishery Management Council's Habitat Clam Dredge Exemption Framework Adjustment to its Fishery Management Plans that published on September 17, 2019. The New England Fishery Management Council requested the comment period be reopened due to concerns that an error in a URL in the proposed rule may have prevented some individuals from submitting comments. Reopening the comment period through November 18, 2019, and including the correct URL should ensure all interested parties are able to comment on the proposed action.

NMFS is correcting a notice that informed the public that the Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an application submitted by the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance for an exempted fishing permit contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. The proposed active date of the exempted fishing permit was incorrect.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Scallop 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.