Department of Commerce October 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The SEDAR 87 assessment process of Gulf of Mexico white, pink, and brown shrimp will consist of a Data Workshop, and a series of assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that Aperam Stainless Belgium N.V. (ASB) made sales of stainless steel plate in coils from Belgium at less than normal value during the period of review (POR) May 1, 2022, through April 30, 2023.

The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) proposes to amend its regulations to clarify the requirements governing in-transit shipments from foreign countries through the United States that are subsequently exported to a foreign destination. This rulemaking proposes to clarify who is the U.S. Principal Party in Interest (USPPI) and revise the entry number description when goods are entered into the United States for consumption or warehousing, and then stored in a warehouse or storage facility or admitted into a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) before being exported. This rule also proposes to clarify that when a customs broker is the USPPI and they are requested to provide information from the customs entry for the filing of the Electronic Export Information (EEI), that they obtain consent from their client, as required in the customs regulations. Additionally, this proposed rule revises several sections, including definitions, mandatory filing requirements, responsibilities of parties to the export transaction, confidentiality, penalties, and voluntary self-disclosures to ensure clarity, accuracy, and consistency throughout the FTR.

NMFS proposes regulations to require a charter halibut stamp (stamp) for charter vessel anglers, age 18 years or older, for each day and each trip they intend to catch and retain halibut on a charter vessel in International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) regulatory area 2C (Southeast Alaska) and 3A (Southcentral Alaska). Persons who hold charter halibut permits (CHPs) would purchase stamps, which would be electronic, from NMFS. Charter vessel guides would be required to validate a stamp for each adult charter vessel angler intending to catch and retain halibut. NMFS would ultimately transfer the collected fees from the stamp purchases to the Recreational Quota Entity (RQE) to purchase halibut Quota Share (QS) issued in the Halibut and Sablefish Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program on behalf of the charter halibut fishery. This proposed rule is necessary to promote stability and economic viability in the charter halibut fishery, and is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 (Halibut Act), and other applicable laws.

NOAA has prepared a final programmatic environmental assessment (PEA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, analyzing the environmental impacts of the NMFS Office of Protected Resources (OPR) proposal to authorize directed take under the sturgeon Endangered Species Act (ESA) permitting program for the translocation of shortnose (Acipenser brevirostrum) and Atlantic (A. oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) sturgeons for research and enhancement purposes. Based on its finding of no significant impact, NMFS has determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared.

The SEDAR 90 assessment process of South Atlantic red snapper will consist of a Data Workshop, and a series of assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

This notice contains corrections to a notice of the proposed issuance an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the United States Navy (Navy). The document being corrected is Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Pile Driving Training Exercises at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme, which was published on October 23, 2024.

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) natural resource Trustees for the Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group (Open Ocean TIG) have prepared the Draft Restoration Plan 4 and Environmental Assessment: Fish and Water Column Invertebrates (FWCI) and Sea Turtles (RP4/EA). The Draft RP4/EA proposes alternatives to help restore fish and water column invertebrates and sea turtles impacted by the DWH oil spill. The Draft RP4/EA evaluates twelve restoration alternatives under the Oil Pollution Act (OPA), including criteria set forth in the OPA Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) regulations, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and its implementing regulations. A No Action Alternative is also evaluated pursuant to the NEPA. The total estimated cost to implement the Open Ocean TIG's 10 preferred alternatives is approximately $210,020,000. The Open Ocean TIG invites the public to comment on the Draft RP4/EA.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold three Best Fishing Practices Master Volunteer Program (BFP MVP) Workshops covering best fishing practices, specifically for snapper grouper species, how to get involved in Citizen Science projects, and how to get involved in the Council process.

In this final rule, NMFS updates the Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) regulations regarding the sea turtle safe handling and release requirements and equipment in the HMS pelagic and bottom longline fisheries. This action is based in part on two technical memoranda published by NMFS' Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC). The regulatory updates replace some of the more technical terms with those that are more commonly used, add more detail to make the regulations more understandable, and add additional tools or options for fishermen to use to safely handle and release sea turtles. In addition, this final rule simplifies the regulations by removing redundancies, making minor changes in formatting, and revising wording to clarify responsibility of implementation.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) published notice in the Federal Register of September 27, 2024, in which Commerce published the final determination in the circumvention inquiry of the antidumping duty (AD) order on prestressed concrete steel wire strand (PC strand) from Mexico. This notice omitted the section ordering the liquidation of entries of merchandise subject to the AD order on PC strand from Mexico as a result of the affirmative determination of circumvention.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, and implementing regulations, notification is hereby given that a Letter of Authorization (LOA) has been issued to Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project 1, LLC (Project Company 1), for the taking of marine mammals incidental to the construction of the Atlantic Shores South Project (hereafter known as the "Project").

NMFS received a request from the Don Young Port of Alaska (POA) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to the Cargo Terminals Replacement Project at the existing port facility in Anchorage, Alaska over the course of 5 construction seasons (2026 through 2030). Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is proposing regulations setting forth permissible methods of taking, other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on such marine mammal stocks (i.e., mitigation measures), and requirements pertaining to monitoring and reporting such takes and requests comments on the proposed regulations. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the promulgation of the requested MMPA regulations, and NMFS's responses to public comments will be summarized in the final notification of our decision.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that imports of frozen warmwater shrimp (shrimp) from Ecuador are not being, or not likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV) for the period of investigation (POI) October 1, 2022, through September 30, 2023.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that countervailable subsidies are not being provided to producers and exporters of frozen warmwater shrimp (shrimp) from Indonesia. The period of investigation is January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of frozen warmwater shrimp (shrimp) from India. The period of investigation (POI) is April 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) and its advisory bodies will meet November 13-18, 2024, in Costa Mesa, CA and via webinar. The Council meeting will be live streamed with the opportunity to provide public comment remotely.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued a renewal incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the Port of Bellingham to incidentally harass marine mammals incidental to maintenance and rehabilitation of the Bellingham Shipping Terminal in Bellingham, WA.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of disposable aluminum containers, pans, trays, and lids (disposable aluminum containers) from the People's Republic of China (China). The period of investigation (POI) is January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.

Notice is hereby given that Karen Holloway-Adkins, Ph.D., East Coast Biologists, Inc., P.O. Box 33715, Indialantic, FL 32903, has requested a modification to scientific research Permit No. 21467-02.