Department of Commerce 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), hereafter NOAA, in partnership with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Department of Energy (DOE) Grid Deployment Office (GDO) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), is working to build on existing spatial planning capacity in the United States (U.S.) Gulf of Mexico region. Through this Request for Information, NOAA is seeking public input to identify coastal and marine spatial data or other critical information to inform spatial analyses for transmission planning in state and Federal waters off Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The input we receive from the data development workshop meeting, as well as the responses to the items listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document, will be used to inform potential coastal and ocean development activities in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico region, such as renewable energy development.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that Dongkuk Coated Metal Co., Ltd. (Dongkuk) and certain companies not selected for individual examination made sales of subject merchandise in the United States at prices below normal value (NV) during the period of review (POR) July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023. In addition, Commerce determines that Hyundai Steel Company (Hyundai) did not make sales of subject merchandise in the United States at prices below NV during the POR.

NMFS proposes to revise regulations to provide for electronic entry filing of data from the Certification of Admissibility (COA) form, which allows entry of certain fish or fish products otherwise subject to trade restrictions pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (Moratorium Protection Act), or Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA). This proposed rule would standardize and consolidate existing permit, reporting, recordkeeping, and entry filing requirements and allow nations to use their own aggregate catch documentation. The intent of these actions are to enable the continued flow of trade while adhering to existing statutory requirements.

NMFS has received a request from Vineyard Northeast, LLC (Vineyard Northeast), for authorization to take small numbers of marine mammals incidental to the development of the Vineyard Northeast Offshore Wind Project (Project) in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Commercial Lease on the Outer Continental Shelf OCS- A-0522 off of Massachusetts (MA) and Connecticut (CT) over the course of 5 years beginning on January 1, 2028. Pursuant to regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is announcing receipt of Vineyard Northeast's request for regulations governing the incidental taking of marine mammals and associated Letter of Authorization (LOA). NMFS invites the public to provide information, suggestions, and comments on Vineyard Northeast's application and request.

NMFS is changing the status of pillar coral (Dendrogyra cylindrus) from threatened to endangered on the Federal List of Threatened and Endangered Species. We have considered the 5-year review of the status of D. cylindrus, expert reviewer comments, and public comments submitted on the proposed rule. Based on this information, we have determined that D. cylindrus is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. Thus, we are changing the status of D. cylindrus from threatened to endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973.

The National Sea Grant Advisory Board (NSGAB) advises the National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant) in the areas of program evaluation, strategic planning, education and extension and science and technology programs. For more information on this Federal Advisory Committee please visit the Federal Advisory Committee database: https:/ /www.facadatabase.gov/FACA/FACAPublicPage. This notice also responds to the Sea Grant Program Improvement Act of 1976, which requires the Secretary of Commerce to solicit nominations at least once a year for membership on the NSGAB. To apply for membership to the Board, applicants should submit a current resume. A cover letter highlighting specific areas of expertise relevant to the purpose of the Board is helpful, but not required. Nominations will be accepted by Email at oar.sg-feedback@noaa.gov. While nominations are always accepted, to be considered for current openings, please submit your nomination no later than January 31, 2025. NOAA is an equal opportunity employer.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that Industeel Belgium S.A. (Industeel) made sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value during the period of review (POR), May 1, 2022, through April 30, 2023.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that countervailable subsidies were provided to Tianjin Hweschun Fasteners Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Tianjin Hweschun) a producer and exporter of certain collated steel staples (collated staples) from the People's Republic of China (China) during the period of review (POR) from January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022.

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 action provides participants in the Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program with the 2025 cost recovery fee percentages and the average mothership (MS) price per pound to be used in the catcher/processor (C/P) Co-op program to calculate the fee amount for the upcoming calendar year. For the 2025 calendar year, NMFS announces the following fee percentages by sector specific program: 3.0 percent for the Shorebased Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program; 0.1 percent for the C/P Co-op Program; and 3.0 percent for the MS Co-op Program. For 2025, the MS pricing to be used as a proxy by the C/P Co- op Program is $0.09/lb for Pacific whiting.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that certain producers/exporters subject to this administrative review made sales of glycine from Japan at less than normal value during the period of review (POR) June 1, 2022, through May 31, 2023.

The NMFS Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce is revising its current implementing regulations to improve the uniformity and reliability of seafood inspection services by adopting recognized best practices for inspection. NMFS has not significantly revised or updated the existing regulations since first issuing them in 1971, though it has modified many operating procedures since implementation of the current regulations. NMFS anticipates that these revisions will benefit the seafood industry by streamlining seafood inspection services and providing improved, more accurate inspection results.

This final rule establishes the 2025-26 harvest specifications for groundfish caught in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) seaward of Washington, Oregon, and California, consistent with the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act or MSA) and the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (PCGFMP). This final rule also revises management measures intended to keep the total annual catch of each groundfish stock or stock complex within the annual catch limits. These measures are intended to help prevent overfishing, rebuild overfished stocks, achieve optimum yield, and ensure that management measures are based on the best scientific information available. Additionally, this final rule makes minor corrections (e.g., correcting grammar, removing outdated regulations, revisions for clarity) to the regulations, as well as technical corrections recommended by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) at their September 2024 meeting. Last, this final rule implements amendment 33 to the PCGFMP, which establishes a rebuilding plan for California quillback rockfish and revises the allocation framework for shortspine thornyhead.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily finds that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of chlorinated isocyanurates (chlorinated isos) from the People's Republic of China (China) during the period of review (POR), January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that sales of thermal paper from Germany were not made at less than normal value (NV) during the period of review (POR), November 1, 2022, through October 31, 2023. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that sales of certain aluminum foil (aluminum foil) from the Sultanate of Oman (Oman) were made at less than normal value (NV) during the period of review (POR) November 1, 2022, through October 31, 2023. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that large diameter welded pipe (welded pipe) from the Republic of Korea (Korea) was not sold in the United States at prices below normal value during the period of review (POR) May 1, 2022, through April 30, 2023.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily finds that certain producers/exporters subject to this administrative review made sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value (NV) during the period of review (POR) November 1, 2022, through October 31, 2023. Additionally, Commerce is rescinding the review, in part, with respect to two companies. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on pure magnesium from the People's Republic of China (China). We determine that Tianjin Magnesium Metal Co., Ltd. (MMC) and Tianjin Magnesium International Co., Ltd. (TMI) made sales at less than normal value (NV) during the period of review (POR) May 1, 2022, through April 30, 2023.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily finds that circular welded non-alloy steel pipe (CWP) from the Republic of Korea (Korea) was sold at less than normal value (NV) during the period of review (POR), November 1, 2022, through October 31, 2023. Additionally, Commerce determines that one mandatory respondent did not make sales of subject merchandise at less than NV during the POR. We invite interested parties to comment on these preliminary results.

NMFS announces a closure for the 2025 fishing season for the red snapper recreational private angling component in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off Texas in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) through this temporary rule. The red snapper recreational private angling component in the Gulf EEZ off Texas will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on January 1, 2025, until 12:01 a.m., local time, on June 1, 2025. This closure is necessary to prevent the private angling component from exceeding the Texas regional management area annual catch limit (ACL) and to prevent overfishing of the Gulf red snapper resource.