Department of Commerce – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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, notification is hereby given that a Letter of Authorization (LOA) has been issued to bp Exploration and Production Inc. (bp) for the take of marine mammals incidental to geophysical survey activity in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM).

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a public webinar to collect input on the Summer Flounder Commercial Mesh Size Exemptions Framework/Addendum.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that imports of unthreaded pins of alloy steel from China are circumventing the antidumping duty (AD) order on alloy and certain carbon steel threaded rod from China and the countervailing duty (CVD) order on carbon and alloy steel threaded rod from China. We invite interested parties to comment on the preliminary determination.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that Vinh Hoan Corporation (Vinh Hoan), an exporter of certain frozen fish fillets (fish fillets) from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnam), did not sell subject merchandise in the United States at prices below normal value (NV) during the period of review (POR) August 1, 2021, through July 31, 2022. Commerce also determines that Can Tho Import Export Seafood Joint Stock Company (CASEAMEX), an exporter of fish fillets from Vietnam, did sell subject merchandise in the United States at prices below NV during the POR. Further, Commerce determines that four additional companies, Cafatex Corporation (Cafatex), Hung Vuong Corporation and its affiliated companies (HVC), International Development and Investment Corporation (IDI), and Loc Kim Chi Seafood Joint Stock Company (Loc Kim Chi), are eligible for separate-rate status. Commerce is also rescinding the review with respect to 12 companies and the Vietnam-wide entity.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold four port meetings in North Carolina to gather input on Atlantic king mackerel and Atlantic Spanish mackerel fisheries, which are managed by the Fishery Management Plan for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Region.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its advisory committees will meet April 1, 2024 through April 9, 2024.

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

Notice is hereby given that the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Marine Forensic Laboratory, 2725 Montlake Blvd. East, Seattle, WA 98112 (Kevin Werner, Ph.D., Responsible Party), has applied in due form for a permit to receive, import, and export marine mammal and protected species parts for scientific research.

The Office of Advanced Manufacturing within the National Institute of Standards and Technology, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, intends to announce an open competition for a new Manufacturing USA institute. The expected competition will seek to establish a Manufacturing USA institute focused on the use of Artificial Intelligence to improve resilience of U.S. manufacturing. This NOI is provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations among industry, academia, Federal laboratories and state/local government.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to clarify controls on radiation hardened integrated circuits, including controls on computer and telecommunications equipment incorporating such radiation hardened integrated circuits. This rule also addresses certain scenarios that apply to certain integrated circuits acquired, tested, or otherwise used by or for the United States Government and affirms the availability of License Exception GOV for such items when pursuant to an official written request or directive from the Department of Defense or the Department of Energy. Lastly, this rule expands the availability of License Exception GOV for microelectronics items being exported, reexported, or transferred (in-country) in furtherance of a contract between the exporter, reexporter, or transferor and a department or agency of the U.S. Government when the contract provides for the export, reexport, transfer (in-country) of the item by the exporter, reexporter, or transferor in order to remove export control obstacles for official business of the U.S. Government, including the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense.

In accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (FACA), the Department of Commerce has renewed and renamed the Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES) as the Advisory Committee on Excellence in Space (ACES), determining this action to be in the public interest in connection with the performance of duties imposed on the Department by law. ACCRES was renewed and renamed as ACES on March 4, 2024.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of the Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel (AP) in Charleston, SC.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that non-refillable steel cylinders with water capacities between 100 and 299 cubic inches produced in the People's Republic of China (China) and exported to the United States, are circumventing the antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders on certain non-refillable steel cylinders (non-refillable cylinders) from China.

On January 16, 2024, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) published the notice of initiation and preliminary results of a changed circumstances review (CCR) of the countervailing duty (CVD) order on certain softwood lumber from Canada. For these final results, Commerce continues to find that Interfor Corporation, EACOM Timber Corporation, Chaleur Forest Products Inc., and Chaleur Forest Products LP are cross-owned entities in the context of the CVD order on certain softwood lumber from Canada.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a joint hybrid meeting of its Scallop Committee and Habitat Committee 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.

On January 5, 2024, the United States Court of International Trade (CIT) issued its final judgment in Oman Fasteners, LLC v. United States and Mid Continent Steel & Wire, Inc., Court No. 22-00348, Slip Op. 24-1 (CIT January 5, 2024) (Oman Fasteners Slip Op. 24-1), sustaining the U.S. Department of Commerce's (Commerce) final remand results pertaining to the antidumping duty administrative review on certain steel nails (steel nails) from the Sultanate of Oman (Oman), covering the period of review July 1, 2020, though June 30, 2021. Commerce is notifying the public that the CIT's final judgment is not in harmony with the final results of the administrative review, and that Commerce is amending its final results.

On February 20, 2024, the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) issued its final judgment in Hyundai Steel Co. v. United States, Court No. 21-00304, sustaining the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce)'s remand results pertaining to the administrative review of the countervailing duty (CVD) order on certain corrosion-resistant steel products (CORE) from the Republic of Korea (Korea) covering the period January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2018 (POR). Commerce is notifying the public that the CIT's final judgment is not in harmony with Commerce's final results of the administrative review, and that Commerce is amending the final results with respect to the countervailable subsidy rate assigned to Hyundai Steel Company (Hyundai).

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Halibut and Sablefish Individual Fishing Quota Committee (IFQ Committee) will meet via web conference.

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.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of aluminum extrusions from Indonesia. The period of investigation (POI) is January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.

NMFS announces the final 2024 and 2025 harvest specifications, apportionments, and prohibited species catch (PSC) allowances for the groundfish fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to establish harvest limits for groundfish during the remainder of the 2024 and the start of the 2025 fishing years and to accomplish the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the BSAI (FMP). The 2024 harvest specifications supersede those previously set in the final 2023 and 2024 harvest specifications, and the 2025 harvest specifications will be superseded in early 2025 when the final 2025 and 2026 harvest specifications are published. The intended effect of this action is to conserve and manage the groundfish resources in the BSAI in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).