Department of Commerce January 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS publishes the standard ex-vessel prices and fee percentage for cost recovery under the Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Program. This action is intended to provide participants in a rockfish cooperative with the standard prices and fee percentage for the 2019 fishing year, which was authorized from May 1 through November 15. The fee percentage is 3.0 percent. The fee payments are due from each rockfish cooperative on or before February 15, 2020.

NMFS has received a request from the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT) for the re-issuance of a previously issued incidental harassment authorization (IHA) with the only change being effective dates. The initial IHA authorized take of seven species of marine mammals, by Level B harassment, incidental to construction associated with the city dock and ferry terminal improvement project in Tenakee Springs, Alaska. The project has been delayed and none of the work covered in the initial IHA has been conducted. The initial IHA was effective from June 1, 2019, through May 31, 2020. ADOT has requested re-issuance with new effective dates of June 1, 2020, through May 31, 2021. The scope of the activities and anticipated effects remain the same, authorized take numbers are not changed, and the required mitigation, monitoring, and reporting remains the same as included in the initial IHA. NMFS is, therefore, issuing a second IHA to cover the incidental take analyzed and authorized in the initial IHA.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is correcting the final results in the changed circumstances review (CCR) with respect to the antidumping duty order on truck and bus tires from the People's Republic of China (China) to correct the cash deposit rate in effect on the date that those final results published.

NOAA is soliciting applications to fill up to six membership vacancies on the Ocean Exploration Advisory Board (OEAB). The new OEAB members will serve initial three-year terms, renewable once.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) finds that the producers/exporters subject to this administrative review made sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value during the period of review (POR), November 14, 2016 through April 30, 2018.

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

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminary determines that producers/exporters of steel concrete reinforcing bar (rebar) from the Republic of Turkey (Turkey) received net countervailable subsidies during the period of review (POR) January 1 through December 31, 2017. Commerce preliminarily determines that the mandatory respondents, Icdas Celik Enerji Tersane ve Ulasim Sanayi A.S. (Icdas), and Kaptan Demir Celik Endustrisi ve Ticaret A.S. and Kaptan Metal Dis Ticaret Ve Nakliyat A.S. (collectively, Kaptan), each received de minimis net countervailable subsidies during the POR. This review also includes 15 companies not individually examined, which Commerce preliminarily determines received net countervailable subsidies. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

NMFS has received a request from Hilcorp Alaska, LLC (Hilcorp) and Eni US Operating Co. Inc. (Eni) for authorization to take small numbers of marine mammals incidental to ice road and ice trail construction, maintenance, and operation in Alaska's North Slope, over the course of five years (2020-2025). As required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is proposing regulations to govern that take and requests comments on the proposed regulations. 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.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that Deacero S.A.P.I de C.V. (Deacero) and Grupo Simec made sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value during the November 1, 2017 through October 31, 2018 period of review (POR). We invite interested parties to comment on these preliminary results.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that POSCO, a producer and/or exporter of certain carbon and alloy cut-to-length plate (CTL plate) from the Republic of Korea (Korea), received net countervailable subsidies during the period of review (POR), April 4, 2017 through December 31, 2017.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on circular welded non-alloy steel pipe (CWP) from the Republic of Korea (Korea). The period of review (POR) is November 1, 2017 through October 31, 2018. Commerce preliminarily determines that the producers/exporters subject to this review made sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value. We invite interested parties to comment on these preliminary results.

On September 12, 2019, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) published the preliminary results of the antidumping duty administrative review of certain pasta (pasta) from Italy. The period of review (POR) is July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018. As a result of our analysis of the comments and information received, these final results differ from the Preliminary Results with respect to Ghigi 1870 S.p.A. and Pasta Zara S.p.A. (collectively, Ghigi/Zara) and Industria Alimentare Colavita S.p.A. (Indalco). For the final weighted-average dumping margins, see the ``Final Results of Review'' section.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of chlorinated isocyanurates (chlorinated isos) from the People's Republic of China (China). The period of review (POR) is January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

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 A season apportionment of the 2020 Pacific cod total allowable catch allocated to catcher/processors using pot gear in the BSAI.

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 comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is rescinding the administrative review of the countervailing duty order on certain cold- rolled steel flat products from the People's Republic of China (China) for the period of review (POR) January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2018.

NMFS has received a request from the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to pile driving and construction associated with the Gustavus Ferry Terminal Improvements Project in Gustavus, 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 is also requesting comments on a possible one-year renewal 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.

NMFS has received a request from University of California Santa Cruz's Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (UCSC/PISCO) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to rocky intertidal monitoring surveys along the Oregon and California coasts. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is proposing regulations to govern that take, and requests comments on the proposed regulations. 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.