Department of Commerce August 4, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), with this notice, is informing the public that the interagency Titanium Sponge Working Group (TSWG) report and recommendations have been published on the BIS website: https://www.bis.doc.gov/232. On February 27, 2020, the President directed the establishment of the interagency TSWG to address the United States' severe reliance on imported sources of titanium sponge. The TSWG, co-led by the Secretaries of Commerce and Defense as designated by the President's memorandum, began meeting in July 2020 and completed its report and recommendations in 2022. The final report and recommendations were posted on the BIS website in July 2023. As directed by the President's memorandum establishing the TSWG, the report discusses and recommends measures to ensure access to titanium sponge in the United States for use for national defense and critical industries in an emergency.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Highly Migratory Species Advisory Subpanel (HMSAS) is holding an online meeting, which is open to the public.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily finds that heavy walled rectangular welded carbon steel pipes and tubes (HWR) from the Republic of Korea (Korea) were not sold at less than normal value during the period of review (POR) September 1, 2021, through August 31, 2022. In addition, Commerce is rescinding this administrative review in part with respect to two companies for which the request for review was timely withdrawn. We invite interested parties to comment on these preliminary results of review.

NMFS announces that the Commonwealth of Virginia is transferring a portion of its 2023 commercial bluefish quota to the States of North Carolina and Rhode Island. These adjustments to the 2023 fishing year quota are necessary to comply with the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised 2023 commercial bluefish quotas for Virginia, North Carolina, and Rhode Island.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to incidentally harass marine mammals during construction activities associated with the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Restoration project in Richmond, CA.