Department of Commerce October 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS announces the extension of the public comment period on the Administrative Law Judge's recommended decision on NMFS' proposal to issue a waiver and regulations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to allow the Makah Indian Tribe to take a limited number of Eastern North Pacific gray whales for ceremonial and subsistence purposes. We announced a 20-day comment period to end on October 19, 2021. Today, we extend the public comment period on the recommended decision by 25 days to November 13, 2021. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of its Habitat Protection and Ecosystem-Based Management (Habitat) AP.

A Request for Panel Review was filed on behalf of Deacero S.A.P.I. de C.V. and Deacero USA, Inc. with the United States Section of the USMCA Secretariat on October 8, 2021, pursuant to USMCA Article 10.12. Panel Review was requested of the U.S. Department of Commerce's Final Results in the 2018-2019 Administrative Review of Antidumping Duty Order on Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar from Mexico. The final determination was published in the Federal Register on September 9, 2021. The USMCA Secretariat has assigned case number USA-MEX-2021- 10.12-02 to this request.

Notice is hereby given that Stephen John Trumble, Ph.D., Baylor University, 101 Bagby Ave., Waco, TX 76706, has applied in due form for a permit to import, export, and receive parts from cetaceans for scientific research.

NOAA announces the appointment of members who will serve on the NOAA Performance Review Board (PRB). The NOAA PRB is responsible for reviewing performance appraisals and ratings of Senior Executive Service (SES), Senior Level (SL), and Scientific and Professional (ST) members and making written recommendations to the appointing authority on retention and compensation matters, including performance-based pay adjustments, awarding of bonuses, and reviewing recommendations for potential Presidential Rank Award nominees. The appointment of members to the NOAA PRB will be for a period of 2 years.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) published notice in the Federal Register of September 29, 2021, of the final results of the 2018-2020 administrative review of the antidumping duty order on glycine from Japan. This notice reflected an incorrect final weighted- average dumping margin for Yuki Gosei Kogyo Co., Ltd./Nagase & Co., Ltd. (YGK/Nagase) and an incorrect citation to the published preliminary results Federal Register notice.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) is amending the rules of practice to permit higher-capacity physical media to be submitted to the USPTO. Patent applications for certain inventions require significant data in American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) plain text format to be submitted to the USPTO in order to determine whether the invention described in the patent application is patentable. When submission of such data exceeds the USPTO's patent electronic filing system capacity, submission of large data submission in ASCII plain text format can be made on physical media. To that end, the rules of practice are amended to provide applicants with the ability to use physical media larger than compact discs (CDs) for submission of data in ASCII plain text format, such as an electronic version of amino acid and nucleotide sequence information, information compiled in a large table, or information related to a computer program listing. Additionally, extraction of compressed data files, which had not been permitted in the past for certain submissions, will be permitted if the compressed data files are compliant with the requirements of the rules. Other rules related to certain obsolete and non-secure methods of presenting data are eliminated.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that certain cut-to-length carbon-quality steel plate products (CTL plate) from the Republic of Korea (Korea) were sold in the United States at less than normal value during the period of review (POR) February 1, 2019, through January 31, 2020.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of utility scale wind towers (wind towers) from India. The period of investigation is April 1, 2019, through March 31, 2020.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is conducting the administrative review of the antidumping duty (AD) order on magnesium metal from the People's Republic of China (China). The period of review (POR) is April 1, 2020, through March 31, 2021. Commerce preliminarily determines that Tianjin Magnesium International Co., Ltd. (TMI) and Tianjin Magnesium Metal Co., Ltd. (TMM) did not have any shipments of subject merchandise during the POR. We invite interested parties to comment on these preliminary results.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) invites organizations to provide letters of interest describing products and technical expertise to support and demonstrate security platforms for the Migration to Post-Quantum Cryptography project. This notice is the initial step for the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) in collaborating with technology companies to address cybersecurity challenges identified under the Migration to Post-Quantum Cryptography project. Participation in the project is open to all interested organizations.

NMFS has received a request from the Chesapeake Tunnel Joint Venture (CTJV) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to the Parallel Thimble Shoal Tunnel Project (PTST) in Virginia Beach, Virginia. 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 document. 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 Economic Development Administration (EDA) has received petitions for certification of eligibility to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance from the firms listed below. Accordingly, EDA has initiated investigations to determine whether increased imports into the United States of articles like or directly competitive with those produced by each of the firms contributed importantly to the total or partial separation of the firms' workers, or threat thereof, and to a decrease in sales or production of each petitioning firm.

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 an additional 30 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB, and to serve as a correction of the public comment period incorrectly published in the Federal Register on October 6, 2021 (86 FR 54941).

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is initiating a changed circumstances review (CCR) of the antidumping duty (AD) order on certain activated carbon (activated carbon) from the People's Republic of China (China). Further, Commerce preliminarily determines that Ningxia Huahui Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. (Huahui Environmental) is the successor-in-interest to Ningxia Huahui Activated Carbon Co., Ltd. (Ningxia Huahui), and should be assigned the same AD cash deposit rate for purposes of determining AD liability on activated carbon from China. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) seeks public comment on any subsidies, including stumpage subsidies, provided by certain countries exporting softwood lumber or softwood lumber products to the United States during the period January 1, 2021, through June 30, 2021.

As a result of these expedited sunset reviews, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) finds that revocation of the antidumping duty (AD) orders on stainless steel wire rod (SSWR) from Japan, the Republic of Korea (Korea), and Taiwan would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping as indicated in the ``Final Results of Sunset Reviews'' section of this notice.

NMFS announces the receipt of an application for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) from Dr. Matthew Ajermian of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute of Florida Atlantic University (FAU). If granted, the EFP would authorize the captain and crew of certain federally permitted charter vessels to collect limited numbers of snapper-grouper, coastal migratory pelagic, and dolphin and wahoo species in the waters of the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the Florida east coast. The purpose of the EFP is to quantify shark depredation impacts in the recreational fisheries off the Atlantic using a citizen science approach.

NIST is issuing a final rule to amend the regulations governing the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program to reflect the current requirements for publishing Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) for the establishment and operation of MEP Centers, consistent with the current MEP authorizing statute and Department of Commerce (Department or DOC) policy.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, its implementing regulations, and NMFS' MMPA Regulations for Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Surveys Related to Oil and Gas Activities in the Gulf of Mexico, notification is hereby given that three Letters of Authorization (LOA) have been issued to bp Exploration & Production Inc. (bp) for the take of marine mammals incidental to geophysical survey activity in the Gulf of Mexico.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a joint public meeting of its Scallop 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 South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC).