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

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

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 Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, marine mammals during construction activities associated with the Whittier Ferry Terminal ACF Modification project in Whittier, AK.

NMFS received a request from Point Blue Conservation Science (Point Blue) for the Renewal of their initial incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals incidental to seabird and pinniped research activities in central California. These activities are identical to those covered in the initial authorization. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), prior to issuing the initial IHA, NMFS requested comments on both the proposed IHA and the potential for renewing the initial authorization if certain requirements were satisfied. While Renewal requirements have been satisfied, NMFS is now republishing the proposed Renewal IHA and providing an additional 15-day comment period to allow for any additional comments on the proposed Renewal not previously provided during the initial 30-day comment period or the first 15-day additional comment period.

NMFS notifies the public of the aboriginal subsistence whaling quota for bowhead whales that it has assigned to the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission (AEWC), and of limitations on the use of the quota deriving from regulations of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). For 2020, the quota is 93 bowhead whales struck. This quota and other applicable limitations govern the harvest of bowhead whales by members of the AEWC.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Salmon Technical Team (STT) and Scientific and Statistical Committee salmon subcommittee (SSCSC) will hold a joint one-day methodology review meeting. This meeting will be held via webinar and is open to the public.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a four-day meeting to consider actions affecting the Gulf of Mexico fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold an Archipelagic Plan Team (APT) meeting to discuss and make recommendations on fishery management issues in the Western Pacific Region.

NMFS is reapportioning the projected unused amount, 3,342 Chinook salmon prohibited species catch limit, from the vessels participating in directed fishing for pollock in the Central Regulatory area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) to vessels participating in directed fishing for pollock in the Western Regulatory area of the GOA. This action is consistent with the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska.

NMFS has received a request from the Port of Alaska (POA) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to pile driving associated with the construction of a new Petroleum and Cement Terminal (PCT) in Knik Arm, Alaska. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue two successive incidental harassment authorizations (IHAs) to incidentally take marine mammals during the specified activities. NMFS is also requesting comments on possible one-year renewals that could be issued under certain circumstances and if all requirements are met, as described in Request for Public Comments at the end of this notice. 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) preliminarily determines that RMB Fasteners Ltd. and IFI & Morgan Ltd. (collectively, RMB/IFI) and Certified Products International Inc. (CPI) did not have any shipments of subject merchandise during the period of review (POR), and that the 172 remaining companies subject to this administrative review should be treated as part of the China-wide entity because they failed to demonstrate their eligibility for a separate rate. The POR is April 1, 2018 through March 31, 2019.

On September 6, 2019, the Court of International Trade (CIT) entered its final judgment in Sumecht NA, Inc. v. United States, Court No. 17-00244, finding that the United States Department of Commerce (Commerce) erred in setting the effective date of its Notice of Court Decision Not in Harmony with a Final Determination and Notice of Amendment Final Determination of Investigation Pursuant to Court Decision (Timken Notice) pertaining to the antidumping duty (AD) investigation of certain crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules (certain solar cells), from the People's Republic of China (China). Pursuant to the CIT's final judgment, the effective date of Commerce's Timken Notice relative to certain entries of subject merchandise exported by Sumec Hardware Tools Co., Ltd.'s (Sumec Hardware) is November 23, 2015, which is the date of publication of the Timken Notice in the Federal Register. Accordingly, Commerce intends to instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to liquidate entries of subject merchandise exported by Sumec Hardware and produced by Phono Solar Technology Co., Ltd., and imported by Sumecht NA, doing business as Sumec North America (Sumecht), which were entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after October 15, 2015, which is ten days after the CIT's decision, through November 22, 2015, which is the day before the date of publication of Commerce's Timken Notice in the Federal Register, at the separate rate of 13.18 percent.

On December 17, 2019, the Court of International Trade (the Court) issued a final judgment in Jacobi Carbons AB v. United States, Consol. Court No. 15-00286; Slip Op. 19-159 (CIT December 17, 2019) (Jacobi AR7 IV), sustaining the Department of Commerce's (Commerce's) third remand results pertaining to the seventh administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain activated carbon from the People's Republic of China (China) covering the period of April 1, 2013 through March 31, 2014. Commerce is notifying the public that the final judgment in this case is not in harmony with the final results of the administrative review, and that Commerce is amending the final results with respect to certain producers and/or exporters identified herein.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that Beijing Tianhai Industry Co., Ltd. (BTIC), a producer/exporter of high pressure steel cylinders from the People's Republic of China (China), received countervailable subsidies during the period of review (POR), January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is rescinding the administrative review of the countervailing duty (CVD) order on certain pasta from Italy for the period of review (POR) January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018, based on the timely withdrawal of the requests for review.

On December 10, 2019, the United States Court of International Trade (the Court) sustained the final results of redetermination pertaining to the antidumping duty (AD) investigation of 1- Hydroxyethylidene-1, 1-Diphosphonic Acid (HEDP) from the People's Republic of China (China) covering the period July 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015. The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is notifying the public that the final judgment in this case is not in harmony with the results of the final determination and subsequent amended final determination, and that Commerce is amending the final determination with respect to the margin assigned to Nanjing University of Chemical Technology Changzhou Wujin Water Quality Stabilizer Factory and Nantong Uniphos Chemicals Co., Ltd. (collectively, WW Group).

NMFS announces the adoption of a Final Endangered Species Act (ESA) recovery plan for the threatened Puget Sound steelhead Distinct Population Segment (DPS) (herein referred to as steelhead). The Final Recovery Plan for this species (Final Recovery Plan) is now available.

The Secretary of Commerce, through the Office of Trade and Economic Analysis (``OTEA''), issued an Export Trade Certificate of Review to AGC on December 19, 2019.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on the extension of an existing information collection: 0651-0081 (Law School Clinic Program).

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that imports of certain cold-rolled steel flat products (CRS), produced in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnam) using carbon hot-rolled steel (HRS) manufactured in the Republic of Korea (Korea), are circumventing the antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders on CRS from Korea.

The Department Commerce (Commerce) determines that imports of certain corrosion-resistant steel products (CORE), produced in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnam) using carbon hot-rolled steel (HRS) and/or cold-rolled steel flat products (CRS) manufactured in the Republic of Korea (Korea), are circumventing the antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders on CORE from Korea.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a joint meeting of its Law Enforcement Advisory Panel, Deepwater Shrimp Advisory Panel, and Shrimp Advisory Panel via webinar to discuss proposed management action in Shrimp Amendment 11.