Department of Commerce – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that certain producers/exporters subject to this administrative review did not make sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value (NV) during the June 1, 2022, through May 31, 2023, period of review (POR).

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that dioctyl terephthalate (DOTP) from Taiwan is being, or is likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The period of investigation (POI) is January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that dioctyl terephthalate (DOTP) from Malaysia is being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The period of investigation (POI) is January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is revoking the antidumping duty (AD) order on barium chloride from the People's Republic of China (China) and the countervailing duty (CVD) order on barium chloride from India.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Committee will hold a public meeting.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a hybrid meeting of its Scallop Advisory Panel 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.

NMFS is providing notification that the agency will not identify additional fisheries to observe on the 2025 Annual Determination (AD), pursuant to its authority under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Through the AD, NMFS identifies U.S. fisheries operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific Ocean that will be required to take observers upon NMFS' request. The purpose of observing identified fisheries is to learn more about sea turtle bycatch in a given fishery, evaluate measures to prevent or reduce sea turtle bycatch, and implement the prohibition against sea turtle takes. Fisheries identified on the 2020 and 2023 ADs (see table 1) remain on the AD for a 5-year period and are required to carry observers upon NMFS' request until September 29, 2025, and December 31, 2027, respectively.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) published notice in the Federal Register of October 3, 2024 in which Commerce announced the final determination of the less-than-fair-value (LTFV) investigation of aluminum extrusions from Indonesia for the period of investigation (POI), October 1, 2022, through September 30, 2023. This notice corrects the language in the "Continuation of Suspension of Liquidation" section of the Final Determination.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announces that the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC or Committee) will hold a virtual briefing session. This session will be held via web conference on Thursday, November 21, 2024, from 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m. eastern time. The primary purpose of this informational briefing is to have invited guests brief the full Committee on topics of interest related to AI in Hardware and AI and Energy. The briefings are from outside subject matter experts to the full Committee. The final agenda will be posted on the NIST website at https:// www.nist.gov/itl/national-artificial-intelligence-advisory-co mmittee- naiac.

In this rule, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) amends the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by adding 40 entities under 42 entries and four addresses under four entries to the Entity List. These entries are listed on the Entity List under the destinations of China, People's Republic of (China) (11), India (5), Malaysia (2), Russia (13), Singapore (1), and Turkey (14). Two entities are added to the Entity List under two destinations, which accounts for the difference in the totals. This final rule also modifies 52 existing entries on the Entity List under the destinations of China, Estonia, Finland, India, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the United Kingdom. These entities have been determined by the U.S. Government to be acting contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States. This final rule is being published concurrently with a BIS final rule, "Implementation of Additional Export Controls Against Russia and Belarus Under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR); and Clarifications" (RIN 0694-AJ93), which includes additional changes related to export controls related to Russia and Belarus.

In this final rule, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) makes changes to the export controls against Russia and Belarus under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This final rule expands the scope of the Russian and Belarusian Industry Sector Sanctions by imposing controls on nine key precursors for riot control agents and a chemical weapon that Russia has deployed against Ukraine in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). This final rule also makes adjustments to exclusions, exceptions, and licensing policy for exports, reexports, or transfers (in-country) to certain components of the governments of Country Group A:5 and A:6 destinations that are in Russia and Belarus. Lastly, this final rule clarifies that the Russia/ Belarus-Military End User and Procurement Foreign-Direct Product (FDP) rule and the EAR's other Entity List FDP rules' license requirements extend to or within any destination or to any end user or party that otherwise meets the criteria. This final rule is being published concurrently with a BIS final rule, "Additions and Revisions of Entities to the Entity List" (RIN 0694-AJ94), which includes additional changes related to export controls related to Russia and Belarus.

NMFS announces that the quotas for the Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries for 2025 will remain status quo. NMFS also suspends the minimum size limit for Atlantic surfclams for the 2025 fishing year. Regulations for these fisheries require NMFS to notify the public of the allowable harvest levels for Atlantic surfclams and ocean quahogs from the Exclusive Economic Zone even if the previous year's quota specifications remain unchanged. The 2025 quotas were previously announced as projected values. This action confirms the final quotas are unchanged from those projections. This action would not result in harm to these fisheries.

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.