Department of Commerce August 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Monkfish Advisory Panel to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This meeting will be held in-person with a webinar option. Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

NMFS has received a request from the U.S. Navy (Navy) to take marine mammals incidental to training activities conducted in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Study Area (hereafter referred to as the GOA Study Area). Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue regulations and a subsequent Letter of Authorization (LOA) to the Navy to incidentally take marine mammals during the specified activities. NMFS will consider public comments prior to issuing any final rule and making final decisions on the issuance of the requested LOA. Agency responses to public comments will be provided in the notice of the final decision. The Navy's activities qualify as military readiness activities pursuant to the MMPA, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (2004 NDAA).

NMFS announces that the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has submitted Amendment 20 to the Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fishery Management Plan for review and approval by the Secretary of Commerce. We are requesting comments from the public on the amendment. Amendment 20, also known as the Excessive Shares Amendment, would establish limits to the amount of surfclam or ocean quahog individual transferable quota share or annual allocation in the form of cage tags that an individual or their family members could hold.

NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) for the red grouper recreational sector in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) for the 2022 fishing year through this temporary rule. NMFS has projected that the 2022 recreational annual catch target (ACT) for Gulf red grouper will have been reached by August 30, 2022. Therefore, NMFS closes the recreational sector for Gulf red grouper on August 30, 2022, and it will remain closed through the end of the fishing year on December 31, 2022. This closure is necessary to protect the Gulf red grouper resource.

Nominations are being sought for appointment by the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to serve on the American Fisheries Advisory Committee (Committee). The Committee is responsible for making recommendations to the Secretary for financial assistance awards under the Saltonstall-Kennedy (S-K) Grant Competition under the Department of Commerce. The Committee will also make recommendations to the Secretary to assist in the development of the annual Notice of Funding Opportunities (NoFO) for submission to the S-K Grant Competition. This may include identifying the needs of the fishing communities (program priorities), establishing individual award funding limits, specifying the application review criteria and selection processes, and other sections of the NoFO as appropriate and allowable. Nominees should have demonstrable experience in one or more of the following areas of expertise, and in as many seafood species as possible: seafood harvesting or processing; recreational or commercial fishing; growing seafood; fisheries science; and/or food distribution, marketing, retail, or food service. Nominees must be able to fulfill the time commitments required for up to two annual meetings. It is anticipated that meetings will be in person, rotating between regions and possibly lasting up to four business days, subject to the time needs of each meeting. Individuals selected to initially serve on the Committee will serve staggered terms of two, three, and four years. Terms of all future Committee members will be for three years and may not exceed more than two consecutive terms if re- appointed.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Coastal Pelagic Species Advisory Subpanel will hold one public meeting.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announces that the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Advisory Board will hold an open meeting on Tuesday, September 20, 2022.

On July 19, 2022, a NAFTA Binational Panel issued an Order pursuant to NAFTA Article 1904(8) and Rules 72, 73(5), and 77 of the NAFTA Rules of Procedure for Article 1904 Binational Panel Reviews in the matter of Ammonium Sulphate from the United States of America (Determination on Remand). The Binational Panel affirmed the Secretaria de Economia's Fourth Determination on Remand.

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 U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that producers and exporters of certain softwood lumber products (softwood lumber) from Canada received countervailable subsidies during the period of review (POR), January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020. With respect to 18 companies, we are rescinding this administrative review because none of the companies had a reviewable entry during the POR.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that producers and/or exporters subject to this administrative review made sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value during the period of review (POR), January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020.

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

The New England Fishery Management Council's is convening its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) 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.

In compliance with Executive Order 12866, entitled ``Regulatory Planning and Review,'' and the Regulatory Flexibility Act, as amended, the Department of Commerce (Commerce), in the spring and fall of each year, publishes in the Federal Register an agenda of regulations under development or review over the next 12 months. Rulemaking actions are grouped according to pre-rulemaking, proposed rules, final rules, long-term actions, and rulemaking actions completed since the fall 2021 agenda. The purpose of the Agenda is to provide information to the public on regulations that are currently under review, being proposed, or recently issued by Commerce. It is expected that this information will enable the public to participate more effectively in the Department's regulatory process. Commerce's spring 2022 regulatory agenda includes regulatory activities that are expected to be conducted during the period June 1, 2022, through May 31, 2023.

This notice sets forth the proposed schedule and agenda of a forthcoming meeting of the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC). The members will discuss and consider approval of comments and recommendations on the draft NOAA Fisheries Equity and Environmental Justice Strategy.

Notice is hereby given that Paul Jobsis, Ph.D., University of the Virgin Islands, Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, 2 John Brewers Bay, St. Thomas, VI 00802, has applied in due form for a permit to take green (Chelonia mydas), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), and loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtles for purposes of scientific research.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) continues to determine that 17 exporters of certain hardwood plywood products (hardwood plywood) from the People's Republic of China (China) under review had no shipments of subject merchandise during the period of review (POR) January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020. Commerce also continues to determine that the 39 remaining companies subject to this review are part of the China-wide entity because they did not demonstrate eligibility for separate rates.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that The Siam Industrial Wire Co. Ltd. (SIW) made sales of subject merchandise in the United States at prices below normal value during the period of review (POR) January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020.

The SEDAR 74 assessment of Gulf of Mexico red snapper will consist of a Data workshop, a series of assessment webinars, and a Review workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Coastal Pelagic Species Management Team will hold one public meeting.