Department of Commerce 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS is opening directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 620 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to fully use the 2020 total allowable catch of pollock in Statistical Area 620 of the GOA.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 610 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to fully use the 2020 total allowable catch of pollock in Statistical Area 610 of the GOA.

On October 19, 2020, the United States Court of International Trade (the Court) entered final judgment sustaining the final results of remand redetermination pursuant to court order by the Department of Commerce (Commerce) pertaining to the 2015 countervailing duty (CVD) administrative review of the order on crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules (solar cells), from the People's Republic of China (China). Commerce is notifying the public that the final judgment in this case is not in harmony with Commerce's final results in the 2015 administrative review of solar cells from China, and that Commerce is amending the final results.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Habitat Joint Committee and Advisory Panel via webinar 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 Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (MAFMC's) Bluefish Monitoring Committee will hold a public meeting.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) continues to find that the respondents selected for individual examination were in compliance with the Agreement Suspending the Countervailing Duty Investigation on Sugar from Mexico (CVD Agreement), as amended on June 30, 2017 (collectively, amended CVD Agreement), and that the amended CVD Agreement is meeting the statutory requirements under sections 704(c) and (d) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), during the period of review (POR) from January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2018.

NMFS has received a request from the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) 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 A and Level B harassment, incidental to construction associated with the Auke Bay Ferry Terminal Modifications and Improvements Project in Juneau, 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 January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. ADOT&PF has requested re-issuance with new effective dates of November 1, 2020 through October 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 identical IHA to cover the incidental take analyzed and authorized in the initial IHA.

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is rescinding the administrative review, in part, of the antidumping duty order on certain cold-drawn mechanical tubing of carbon and alloy steel (cold- drawn mechanical tubing) from India for the period June 1, 2019, through May 31, 2020.

The SEDAR 68 assessment of Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic scamp will consist of a Data workshop, a series of assessment webinars, and a Review workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (MAFMC's) Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Monitoring Committee will hold a public meeting.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (MAFMC's) Bluefish Advisory Panel will hold a public meeting.

This emergency rule temporarily extends the 2020 sablefish primary fishery from October 31, 2020 to December 31, 2020. This action is necessary to provide operational flexibility so that vessels in the sablefish primary fishery are able to fully harvest their tier limits despite high economic uncertainty in 2020. This action would also extend the incidental halibut retention allowance provision for the sablefish primary fishery from October 31, 2020 to November 15, 2020 and set the halibut retention limit during this time period at 250 pounds (113 kilograms) dressed weight of Pacific halibut for every 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms) dressed weight of sablefish landed and up to 2 additional Pacific halibut in excess of the 250-pounds-per-1,000- pound limit per landing.

The Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs (OUSEA) announces the appointment of members who will serve on the OUSEA Performance Review Board (PRB). The PRB is responsible for reviewing the appraisals and ratings recommended by the senior employees' supervisors and written responses from the senior employee, if any, as well as any other reviews requested, to ensure that recommended ratings are supported and appropriate in the OUSEA, Bureau of Economic Analysis and the US Census Bureau. The PRB provides recommendations to the Appointing Authority regarding the objectives and operation of the SES and ST performance appraisal and reward systems, as required. The purpose of the PRB is to provide fair and impartial review of senior executive service and senior professional performance ratings, bonus and pay adjustment recommendations and Presidential Rank Award nominations. The term of each PRB member will expire on December 31, 2021.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily finds that Heze Huayi Chemical Co., Ltd. (Heze Huayi) made sales of chlorinated isocyanurates from the People's Republic of China (China) at less than normal value during the period of review (POR) June 1, 2018, through May 31, 2019, and that Juancheng Kangtai Chemical Co., Ltd. (Kangtai) had no shipments of subject merchandise during the POR.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Scallop Advisory Panel and Plan Development Team via webinar 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 SEDAR 66 stock assessment of the South Atlantic stock of Tilefish will consist of a data scoping webinar, a workshop, and a series of assessment webinars. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.