Department of Commerce 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that Citribel nv. (Citribel), a producer/exporter subject to this administrative review, made sales of citric acid and certain citrate salts (citric acid) from Belgium at less than normal value. The period of review (POR) is July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022.

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

NMFS published a final rule on November 29, 2023, to announce routine inseason adjustments to management measures in commercial and recreational groundfish fisheries for the 2024 fishing year. That rule is intended to allow commercial and recreational fishing vessels to access more abundant groundfish stocks while protecting overfished and depleted stocks. This action corrects the trip limits for the limited entry (LE) fixed gear and open access (OA) fleets for ``Other Flatfish'' (butter sole, curlfin sole, flathead sole, Pacific sanddab, rex sole, rock sole, and sand sole) south of latitude (lat.) 40[deg]10' North (N). This correction is necessary so that the implementing regulations are accurate and implement the action as intended by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council). This action also corrects a final rule published on December 1, 2023.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that silicon metal from Malaysia was not sold in the United States at less than normal value during the period of review (POR), February 1, 2021, through July 31, 2022.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that SeAH Steel Corporation (SeAH), a producer/exporter of welded line pipe, did not make sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value (NV) during the period of review (POR), December 1, 2021, through November 31, 2022. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results of review.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of multilayered wood flooring (wood flooring) from the People's Republic of China (China). The period of review (POR) is January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results of review.

This rule corrects 2024 harvest specifications for several species of groundfish where the numerical values were mathematically calculated incorrectly and do not accurately reflect the harvest policy recommendations of the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council). These harvest specifications are for groundfish caught in the U.S. exclusive economic zone seaward of Washington, Oregon, and California, consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) and the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (PCGFMP). This rule revises harvest limits or allocations that were previously calculated based on incorrect annual catch limits (ACLs). This action implements corrected numerical values that align with the Council's intended harvest policy decisions and considers the most recent fishery information available at the time those policies were recommended.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that the respondents selected for individual examination, respectively, Compa[ntilde][iacute]a Industrial Azucarera S.A. de C.V. and its affiliates and Ingenio Presidente Benito Juarez S.A. de C.V., were in compliance with the terms of the Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Duty Investigation on Sugar from Mexico, as amended (AD Agreement) during the period of review (POR) from December 1, 2021, through November 30, 2022. Commerce also preliminarily determines that the AD Agreement met the applicable statutory requirements during the POR.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announces the availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) for the modernization and internal expansion of existing semiconductor fabrication facilities under the CHIPS Incentives Program. The PEA addresses financial assistance for the modernization or internal expansion of existing current-generation and mature-node commercial facilities within their existing footprint throughout the U.S. (the ``Proposed Action''). NIST is requesting comments on the Draft PEA.

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-time, 1-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 notice. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the issuance of the requested MMPA authorization and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision.

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.

This final rule is being issued to adjust for inflation each civil monetary penalty (CMP) provided by law within the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Commerce (Department of Commerce). The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended by the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 and the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, required the head of each agency to adjust for inflation its CMP levels in effect as of November 2, 2015, under a revised methodology that was effective for 2016 which provided for initial catch up adjustments for inflation in 2016, and requires adjustments for inflation to CMPs under a revised methodology for each year thereafter. The Department of Commerce's 2024 adjustments for inflation to CMPs apply only to CMPs with a dollar amount, and will not apply to CMPs written as functions of violations. The Department of Commerce's 2024 adjustments for inflation to CMPs apply only to those CMPs, including those whose associated violation predated such adjustment, which are assessed by the Department of Commerce after the effective date of the new CMP level.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), U.S. Department of Commerce, will host a public symposium on February 1, 2024, focusing on implementation of the National Spectrum Strategy, which the Executive Office of the President released on November 13, 2023.

On December 18, 2023, the U.S. Court of International Trade (the Court or CIT) issued its final judgment in Hyundai Steel Company v. United States, Consol. Court No. 22-00138, Slip Op. 23-183, sustaining the U.S. Department of Commerce's (Commerce) remand results pertaining to the administrative review of the antidumping duty (AD) order on certain oil country tubular goods (OCTG) from the Republic of Korea (Korea) covering the period September 1, 2019, through August 31, 2020. Commerce is notifying the public that the CIT's final judgment is not in harmony with Commerce's Final Results of the administrative review, and that Commerce is amending the Final Results with respect to the dumping margin assigned to AJU Besteel Co., Ltd. (AJU Besteel), Husteel Co., Ltd. (Husteel), Hyundai Steel Company (Hyundai Steel), and NEXTEEL Co., Ltd. (NEXTEEL).

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Joint Herring 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.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)'s Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology (VCAT or Committee) will meet on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. eastern time.

NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is transferring a portion of its 2023 commercial summer flounder quota to the State of New Jersey. This adjustment to the 2023 fishing year quota is necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised 2023 commercial quotas for North Carolina and New Jersey.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that Jiangsu Senmao Bamboo and Wood Industry Co., Ltd. (Senmao) did not make sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value (NV), and that certain companies had no shipments of subject merchandise during the period of review (POR) December 1, 2021, through November 30, 2022. In addition, we are rescinding the review with respect to one company. We invite interested parties to comment on these preliminary results.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will hold a 2 day in-person meeting of its Ad Hoc Charter For-hire Data Collection Advisory Panel.

NMFS is adjusting the 2024 total allowable catch (TAC) amounts for the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) pollock, Atka mackerel, and Pacific cod fisheries. This action is necessary because NMFS has determined these TACs are incorrectly specified, and will ensure the BSAI pollock, Atka mackerel, and Pacific cod TACs are the appropriate amounts based on the best scientific information available. This action is consistent with the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area.

NMFS is adjusting the 2024 total allowable catch (TAC) amounts for the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) pollock and Pacific cod fisheries. This action is necessary because NMFS has determined these TACs are incorrectly specified, and will ensure the GOA pollock and Pacific cod TACs are the appropriate amount based on the best scientific information available for pollock and Pacific cod in the GOA. This action is consistent with the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska.

NMFS publishes inseason orders to regulate treaty tribal and non-tribal (all citizen) commercial salmon fisheries in United States (U.S.) waters of the Fraser River Panel (Panel) Area. The orders were issued by the (Panel) of the Pacific Salmon Commission (Commission) and subsequently approved and issued by NMFS during 2023 for pink salmon fisheries within the U.S. Panel Area. These orders established fishing dates, times, and areas for the gear types of U.S. treaty tribal and all citizen commercial fisheries during the period the Panel exercised jurisdiction over these fisheries.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies were provided to producers and exporters of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, (solar cells) from the People's Republic of China (China) during the period of review (POR), January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021. We are rescinding this review with respect to 65 companies. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that Corinth Pipeworks Pipe Industry S.A. (CPW) did not make sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value during the period of review (POR), May 1, 2021, through April 30, 2022.