Department of Commerce July 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public hybrid meeting of its Risk Policy Working Group (RPWG) 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.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty (AD) order on citric acid and certain citrate salts (citric acid) from Belgium. We preliminarily determine that Citribel nv. (Citribel), formerly S.A. Citrique Belge N.V. (Citrique Belge), sold subject merchandise in the United States at prices below normal value during the July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022, period of review (POR). We invite interested parties to comment on these preliminary results.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that certain steel nails (steel nails) from the Republic of Korea (Korea) were sold in the United States at less than normal value (NV) during the period of review (POR) of July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

Based on a request from Eastman Kodak Company (Kodak), the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is initiating a changed circumstances review to consider the possible revocation, in part, of the antidumping duty (AD) order on common alloy aluminum sheet (CAAS) from Germany with respect to certain lithographic-grade aluminum sheet.

In response to a request from Insteel Wire Products Company, Sumiden Wire Products Corporation, and Wire Mesh Corp. (collectively, the requestors), the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is initiating a country-wide circumvention inquiry to determine whether imports of certain high carbon steel (HCS) wire from Mexico that are assembled or completed into prestressed concrete steel wire strand (PC strand) in the United States, are circumventing the antidumping duty order on PC strand from Mexico.

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 (GOM), notification is hereby given that a Letter of Authorization (LOA) has been issued to Chevron USA, Inc., (Chevron) for the take of marine mammals incidental to geophysical survey activity in the GOM.

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council (CFMC) will hold its 182nd public hybrid meeting to address the items contained in the tentative agenda included in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is amending the final results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on steel concrete reinforcing bar (rebar) from Mexico to correct a ministerial error. The period of review is November 1, 2020, through October 31, 2021.

The Under Secretary for Economic Affairs requests the nomination of individuals to the Federal Economic Statistics Advisory Committee (FESAC or the Committee). The Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, in coordination with the Directors of the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and the Census Bureau, as well as the Commissioner of the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), will consider nominations received in response to this notice, as well as from other sources.

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 2022 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 2023 regulatory agenda includes regulatory activities that are expected to be conducted during the period June 1, 2023, through May 31, 2024.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that passenger vehicle and light truck tires (PVLT) from Thailand were sold in the United States at less than normal value during the period of review (POR) January 6, 2021, through June 30, 2022. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is amending the final results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on welded stainless pressure pipe (WSPP) from India to correct certain ministerial errors. The period of review is November 1, 2020, through October 31, 2021.

NMFS announces an inseason action for the 2023 non-tribal directed commercial Pacific halibut fishery that operates south of Point Chehalis, Washington (lat. 46[deg]53.30' N) in the International Pacific Halibut Commission's regulatory Area 2A off Washington, Oregon, and California. Specifically, this action adds an additional fishing period beginning on August 1, 2023 at 8 a.m. and closing on August 3, 2023 at 6 p.m. and implements a fishing period catch limit of 1,000 pounds (lb) (0.45 mt) dressed weight for all vessel size classes. This action is intended to conserve Pacific halibut and provide commercial fishing opportunity where available.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that countervailable subsidies were provided to Bharat Forge Limited (Bharat Forge), a producer and exporter of forged steel fluid end blocks (fluid end blocks) from India during the period of review (POR), May 26, 2020, through December 31, 2021.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on the extension of an existing information collection: 0651-0065 Global Intellectual Property Academy (GIPA) Surveys. The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment preceding submission of the information collection to OMB.

NMFS proposes regulatory amendments that would apply to Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program participants and electronic monitoring (EM) service providers that participate in the EM program. This rulemaking proposes to modify submission deadlines in Federal regulations specific to vessel feedback reports, summary reports, and logbook submissions by EM service providers. In addition, this rulemaking proposes to clarify regulations on how EM discard data should be estimated via the video review process. This action is necessary because the current regulatory deadlines for EM service providers may be too restrictive. This action is expected to provide more flexibility, while still meeting the data collection and data quality requirements of the EM program. This action would also update and revise obsolete regulations, correct terminology, correct web addresses, and remove obsolete administrative requirements in the Pacific groundfish fishery. Some aspects of this action remove duplicative requirements for mail notifications or mail-based record- keeping and reporting, which are also undertaken electronically. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many administrative notifications and reporting requirements were moved to electronic methods; this action would revise the regulations to be consistent with current practice. This action is intended to support the overarching goal to continually monitor the Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program for compliance with existing regulations in an economical and flexible manner while meeting the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act; MSA), the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan, and other applicable laws.

NMFS is transferring 10.8 metric tons (mt) of Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) quota from the Reserve category to the Harpoon category. With this transfer, the adjusted Harpoon category quota for the 2023 fishing season is 70 mt. The 2023 Harpoon category fishery is open until November 15, 2023, or until the Harpoon category quota is reached, whichever comes first. This action is intended to provide further opportunities for Harpoon category fishermen, based on consideration of the regulatory determination criteria regarding inseason adjustments and applies to Atlantic Tunas Harpoon category (commercial) permitted vessels.

NMFS issues this final rule to revise regulations for the commercial individual fishing quota (IFQ) Pacific halibut (halibut) fisheries for 2023 through 2027. This rule removes limits on the maximum amount of halibut IFQ that may be harvested by a vessel, commonly known as vessel use caps, in IFQ Regulatory Areas 4A (Eastern Aleutian Islands), 4B (Central and Western Aleutian Islands), 4C (Central Bering Sea), and 4D (Eastern Bering Sea). This action provides additional flexibility and stability to IFQ participants in Areas 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D while a longer term modification of vessel use caps is considered. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the IFQ Program, the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 (Halibut Act), and other applicable laws.

NMFS received a request from Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Ferries Division for the renewal of their currently active incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals incidental to the Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal Overhead Loading Replacement Project on Bainbridge Island, Washington within the Puget Sound. These activities consist of activities that are covered by the current authorization but will not be completed prior to its expiration. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, prior to issuing the currently active IHA, NMFS requested comments on both the proposed IHA and the potential for renewing the initial authorization if certain requirements were satisfied. The renewal requirements have been satisfied, and NMFS is now providing an additional 15-day comment period to allow for any additional comments on the proposed renewal not previously provided during the initial 30-day comment period.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting via webinar of its Snapper Grouper Recreational Permitting and Reporting Technical Advisory Panel (AP) to discuss permitting and education alternatives for the private recreational component of the snapper grouper fishery.

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