Department of Commerce June 6, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published a final rule in the Federal Register on August 3, 2020, that includes a fee for patent applications that are not filed in the DOCX format, except for design, plant, or provisional applications. The effective date of this new fee was most recently delayed in a final rule published in the Federal Register on March 27, 2023, and was scheduled to become effective on June 30, 2023. Through this final rule, the USPTO is delaying the effective date of this fee until January 17, 2024.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on the proposed information collection: DOCX Submission Requirements. The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment preceding submission of the information collection to OMB.

As a result of the determinations by the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in their five-year (sunset) reviews that revocation of the antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders on certain hardwood plywood products (hardwood plywood) from the People's Republic of China (China) would likely lead to the continuation or recurrence of dumping and countervailable subsidies, and material injury to an industry in the United States, Commerce is publishing a notice of continuation of these AD and CVD orders.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that large diameter welded pipe (welded pipe) from the Republic of Turkey (Turkey) is not being sold in the United States at less than normal value (NV) during the period of review (POR) May 1, 2021, through April 30, 2022. Additionally, Commerce preliminarily determines that four companies for which we initiated a review had no shipments during the POR. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that sales of subject merchandise were made at less than normal value during the period of review (POR), May 1, 2021, through April 30, 2022. We are also rescinding this review with respect to Nikken Las Industry Co., Ltd. (Nikken) and Taiyo Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Taiyo). We invite interested parties to comment on these preliminary results.

On May 22, 2023, the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT or the Court) issued its final judgment in Guizhou Tyre Co., Ltd., et al., v. United States, Consol. Court No. 19-00031, sustaining the U.S. Department of Commerce's (Commerce) remand redetermination pertaining to the antidumping duty investigation of truck and bus tires from the People's Republic of China (China) covering the period of investigation July 1, 2015, through December 31, 2015. Commerce is notifying the public that the CIT's final judgment is not in harmony with Truck and Bus Tires from the People's Republic of China: Antidumping Duty Order, 84 FR 4436 (February 15, 2019) (Order), and that Commerce is amending the Order with respect Guizhou Tyre Import and Export Co., Ltd. (GTCIE), such that merchandise produced and/or exported by GTCIE, during the period February 15, 2019, through February 21, 2020, is not subject to the Order; merchandise produced and/or exported by GTCIE after February 21, 2020 remains subject to the Order.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily finds that Saffron Living Co., Ltd. (Saffron), did not make a bona fide sale of a mattress from Thailand during the period of review (POR) November 3, 2020, through April 30, 2022. Therefore, Commerce intends to rescind this administrative review with respect to Saffron. Additionally, we are rescinding this review with respect to Nisco (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (Nisco) because it timely withdrew its administrative review request, and no other party requested a review of the company. We invite interested parties to comment on these preliminary results.

NMFS has modified its Letter of Authorization (LOA) issued to the United States Navy (Navy) on July 7, 2022, for the taking of marine mammals incidental to training and testing activities conducted in the Point Mugu Sea Range (PMSR) study area and launch events from San Nicolas Island (SNI) over the course of seven years (2022-2029). Specifically, NMFS has removed certain reporting requirements related to explosives use, to be consistent with other LOAs issued for similar activities conducted by the Navy. The mitigation and mitigation related monitoring measures of the LOA remain unchanged, and the removal of these reporting measures do not change the findings made for the regulations or the original LOA or result in any change in the number of estimated or authorized takes.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that certain producers and or/exporters made sales of non- refillable steel cylinders (NRSCs) from the People's Republic of China (China) at less than normal value, and one company had no shipments of subject merchandise during the period of review (POR) October 30, 2020, through April 30, 2022. Interested parties are invited to comment on the preliminary results of this review.

As a result of this expedited sunset review, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) finds that revocation of the antidumping duty (AD) order on pure magnesium in granular form (pure granular magnesium) from the People's Republic of China (China) would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping at the levels indicated in the ``Final Results of Review'' section of this notice.

The Environmental Technologies Trade Advisory Committee (ETTAC) will hold a hybrid meeting, accessible in-person and online, on Tuesday June 20, 2023 at the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, DC. The meeting is open to the public with registration instructions provided below. This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed topics for the meeting.