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

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that certain oil country tubular goods (OCTG) from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam were sold in the United States at less than normal value (NV) during the period of review (POR) September 1, 2019 through August 31, 2020. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

This final rule implements Amendment 9 to the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific (FEP). It modifies the American Samoa longline fishery limited entry program to consolidate vessel class sizes, modify permit eligibility requirements, and reduce the minimum harvest requirements for small vessels. This final rule also makes several housekeeping changes to the program's regulations. The intent of this rule is to reduce regulatory barriers that may be limiting small vessel participation in the fishery, and provide for sustained community and American Samoan participation in the fishery.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that the producers/exporters subject to this administrative review made sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value (NV) during the period of review (POR) September 1, 2019, through August 31, 2020. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily finds that Industrias Negromex S.A. de C.V. (Negromex) made sales of emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber (ESB rubber) from Mexico at less than normal value during the period of review (POR) September 1, 2019, through August 31, 2020. We invite interested parties to comment on these preliminary results.

NOAA is soliciting applications to fill up to four membership vacancies on the Ocean Exploration Advisory Board (OEAB).

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily finds that certain cold-rolled steel flat products (cold-rolled steel) from the Republic of Korea were not sold in the United States at less than normal value during the period of review (POR), September 1, 2019, through August 31, 2020. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

This action contains a correction to the final rule published on September 15, 2021, setting forth the Concrete Masonry Products Research, Education, and Promotion Order, as authorized by the Concrete Masonry Products Research, Education, and Promotion Act of 2018, which establishes a Concrete Masonry Products Board (Board) composed of industry members appointed by the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to develop and implement programs of research, education, and promotion in the concrete masonry products industry. This action corrects email contact information found in the previously published rule.

As required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the Secretary of Commerce established three independent regional scientific review groups (SRG) to provide advice on a range of marine mammal science and management issues. NMFS conducted a membership review of the Alaska, Atlantic, and Pacific SRGs, and is soliciting nominations for new members to fill vacancies and gaps in expertise (see below).

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 four-day meeting to consider actions affecting the Gulf of Mexico fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The meeting is a hybrid meeting open to the public offering both in-person and virtual options for participation.

NMFS issues a proposed rule to modify recordkeeping and reporting requirements to remove pot gear tag requirements in the sablefish Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) fishery in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) and remove requirements to obtain and submit a notary certification on various programs' application forms. This action is intended to reduce administrative burden on the regulated fishing industry and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). This action promotes the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the Halibut Act, fishery management plans (FMPs), and other applicable laws.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issues this final rule to incorporate classification changes adopted by the Nice Agreement Concerning the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks (Nice Agreement). These changes are listed in the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks (Nice Classification), which is published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and will become effective on January 1, 2022.

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council's (Council) District Advisory Panels (DAPs) will hold public virtual meetings to address the items contained in the tentative agenda included in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on the extension and revision of an existing information collection: 0651- 0071 (Matters Relating to First Inventor to File). The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment preceding submission of the information collection to OMB.

NMFS is transferring 140 metric tons (mt) of Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) quota from the Reserve category to the General category. This action is intended to provide further opportunities for General category fishermen to participate in the October through November General category fishery, based on consideration of the regulatory determination criteria regarding inseason adjustments. This action would affect Atlantic Tunas General category (commercial) permitted vessels and Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Charter/Headboat permitted vessels with a commercial sale endorsement when fishing commercially for BFT.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS has issued a scientific research permit (Permit 19571-2R) to the NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, California, under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The research is intended to increase knowledge of black abalone listed under the ESA and to help guide management, conservation, and recovery efforts.

NMFS is temporarily reopening the recreational fishing season for the Federal charter vessel/headboat (for-hire) component for red snapper in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) through this temporary rule. The most recent landings data for the red snapper for-hire component in the Gulf indicates the component annual catch target (ACT) for the 2021 fishing year has not yet been reached. The red snapper recreational for-hire component in the Gulf EEZ will reopen for 22 days to allow harvest of the remaining for-hire component ACT. NMFS intends this action to increase benefits to for- hire fisherman while protecting the Gulf red snapper resource by continuing to constrain harvest to the component quota.

We, NMFS, are convening a workshop to solicit information from experts to inform recovery planning for Rice's whale (Balaenoptera ricei) under section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This workshop will be open to the public.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily finds that certain oil country tubular goods (OCTG) from the Republic of Korea (Korea) were sold in the United States at prices below normal value. The period of review (POR) is September 1, 2019, through August 31, 2020. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is conducting an administrative review of the countervailing duty (CVD) order on heavy walled rectangular welded carbon steel pipes and tubes (HWR pipes and tubes) from the Republic of Turkey (Turkey) for the period January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2019. Commerce preliminarily determines that Ozdemir Boru Profil San. Ve Tic. Ltd. Sti. (Ozdemir), the sole producer/exporter of HWR pipes and tubes from Turkey subject to this review, received de minimis countervailable subsidies. In addition, we are also rescinding this review with regard to eight companies for which the request for review was timely withdrawn by Nucor Tubular Products Inc. (the petitioner).

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. A 60-day notice of request for comment on the extension of this collection was published in the Federal Register on June 8, 2021. This additional notice alerts the public that NOAA intends to revise the information.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) publishes this final rule to amend the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to implement the decision made at the Australia Group (AG) Virtual Implementation Meeting session held in May 2021, and later adopted pursuant to the AG's silence procedure. This decision updated the AG Common Control List for dual-use biological equipment by adding controls on nucleic acid assembler and synthesizer ``software'' that is capable of designing and building functional genetic elements from digital sequence data. Prior to this AG decision, BIS, consistent with the interagency process described in the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (ECRA), identified this ``software'' as a technology to be evaluated as an emerging technology. The decision by BIS to amend the CCL to include this ``software'' complies with the requirements of ECRA and also reflects the decision of the AG to add it to the regime's Common Control List, thereby making exports of this ``software'' subject to multilateral control through the implementation of these changes by individual AG participating countries (including the United States).

NMFS proposes to approve and implement through regulations measures included in Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan, which the New England Fishery Management Council adopted and submitted to NMFS for approval. This action would allow for more controlled access to the scallop resource by the limited access and limited access general category fleets and increase monitoring to a growing directed scallop fishery in Federal waters, including the Northern Gulf of Maine Management Area. These proposed management measures are intended to promote conservation of the scallop resource in the Northern Gulf of Maine Management Area and to manage total removals from the area by all fishery components. Amendment 21 would also expand flexibility in the limited access general category individual fishing quota fishery to reduce impacts of potential decreases in ex-vessel price and increases in operating costs.