Department of Commerce 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS announces that the Closed Area I Scallop Access Area is closed to Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota scallop vessels for the remainder of the 2020 fishing year. No vessel issued a Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota permit may fish for, possess, or land scallops from the Closed Area I Scallop Access Area. Regulations require this action once it is projected that 100 percent of trips allocated to the Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota scallop vessels for the Closed Area I Scallop Access Area will be taken.

Pursuant to provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended, the Department of Commerce (the Department) announces that the charter for the U.S. Department of Commerce Trade Finance Advisory Council was renewed on August 7, 2020. This discretionary federal advisory committee advises the Secretary in identifying effective ways to help expand access to finance for U.S. exporters and their foreign buyers. The charter renewal of this advisory committee was necessary to provide the Secretary with advice from industry stakeholders on the development of effective policies and programs that support the Department's strategic goal of enhancing job creation by strengthening U.S. companies' export capabilities and reducing the costs and complexities associated with exporting. This notice also requests nominations for membership.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council, NEFMC) will hold a three-day meeting to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Due to federal and state travel restrictions and updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention related to COVID-19, this meeting will be conducted entirely by webinar.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will meet via webconference.

NMFS adjusts the 2020 Winter II commercial scup quota and per- trip Federal landing limit. This action is necessary 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 notice is intended to inform the public of this quota and trip limit change.

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

In conformance with the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announces the appointment of persons to serve as members of its Performance Review Board (PRB). The PRB reviews and makes recommendations concerning proposed performance appraisals, ratings, bonuses, pay adjustments, and other appropriate personnel actions for incumbents of Senior Level and Senior Executive Service positions within USPTO.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda for a meeting of the Ocean Exploration Advisory Board (OEAB). OEAB members will discuss and provide advice on Federal ocean exploration programs, with a particular emphasis on the topics identified in the section on Matters to Be Considered.

NMFS announces the receipt of an exempted fishing permit application titled, ``Year-round Coastwide Midwater Rockfish EFP: Monitoring and Minimizing Salmon Bycatch When Targeting Rockfish in the Shorebased IFQ Fishery, 2021-2022.'' The application, submitted by the West Coast Seafood Processors Association, Environmental Defense Fund, Oregon Trawl Commission, and Midwater Trawlers Cooperative, requests a permit to test whether removing certain gear, time, and area restrictions for vessels fishing under the West Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program's Shorebased Individual Fishing Quota Program may impact the nature and extent of bycatch of prohibited species (e.g., Chinook salmon). This exempted fishing permit would allow participating groundfish bottom and midwater trawl vessels more flexibility than allowed in current regulations to target pelagic rockfish species, such as widow, chilipepper, and yellowtail rockfish. 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 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office for Coastal Management will hold a public meeting and solicit written comments on the performance evaluation of the Illinois Coastal Management Program.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is rescinding the administrative review of the antidumping duty (AD) order on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film from the People's Republic of China (China) for the period of review (POR) November 1, 2018 through October 31, 2019, based on the timely withdrawal of the request for review.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of mattresses from the People's Republic of China. The period of investigation is January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is correcting the antidumping duty orders on utility scale wind towers (wind towers) from Canada, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea (Korea), and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnam) to state the correct date on which the provisional measures expired.

Notice is hereby given that the NMFS' Marine Mammal Laboratory, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115-6349 (Responsible Party: John Bengtson, Ph.D.), has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research on pinnipeds in Alaska.

NMFS proposes this temporary rule for an interim catch limit (ICL) of 13,000 lb of American Samoa bottomfish for fishing year 2020. NMFS would monitor 2020 catches, and if the fishery reaches the ICL, we would close the fishery in Federal waters for the remainder of the calendar year. This temporary action is necessary to reduce overfishing of American Samoa bottomfish while minimizing socio-economic impacts to fishing communities. This proposed rule supports the long-term sustainability of American Samoa bottomfish.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) maintains, as part of its Export Administration Regulations (EAR), the Commerce Control List (CCL), which identifies certain items subject to Department of Commerce jurisdiction. This final rule revises the CCL and other corresponding parts of the EAR, to implement changes made to the Wassenaar Arrangement List of Dual-Use Goods and Technologies and Munitions List (WA Lists) maintained by the governments participating in the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies (Wassenaar Arrangement, or WA) at the December 2018 WA Plenary meeting. The Wassenaar Arrangement advocates implementation of effective export controls on strategic items with the objective of improving regional and international security and stability. BIS published a final rule on May 23, 2019, implementing certain new controls on emerging technologies, as decided at the 2018 Plenary meeting. This rule harmonizes the CCL with the remaining decisions reached at the 2018 Plenary meeting by revising Export Control Classification Numbers (ECCNs) controlled for national security reasons in each category of the CCL, except Category 4. This rule also makes other associated changes to the EAR, as well as adjustments to license exception eligibility for national security- controlled items and revisions to reporting requirements.

Based on affirmative final determinations by the Department of Commerce (Commerce) and the International Trade Commission (ITC), Commerce is issuing antidumping duty orders on polyethylene terephthalate sheet (PET sheet) from the Republic of Korea (Korea) and the Sultanate of Oman (Oman).

NMFS announces one inseason action in the 2020 ocean salmon fisheries. This inseason action modified regulations regarding the retention of Pacific halibut caught incidental to the commercial salmon fishery in the area from the U.S./Canada border to the U.S./Mexico border.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)'s Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology (VCAT or Committee) will meet on Tuesday, October 20, 2020, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.