Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 226 / Monday, November 27, 2023 / Notices 82831 

1See Certain Pea Protein from the People’s 

Republic of China: Initiation of Less-Than-Fair 

Value Investigation, 88 FR 52124 (August 1, 2023). 

trade associations already doing 

business in Tu ̈rkiye, Denmark, Italy, 

Kazakhstan, Poland and Romania or 

seeing business in these markets for the 

first time may apply. 

Fees and Expenses 

After a firm or trade association has 

been selected to participate on the 

mission, a payment to the Department of 

Commerce in the form of a participation 

fee is required. The fees are as follow: 

The participation fee will be $2,200 

for small or medium-sized enterprises 

(SME) and $4,200 for large firms, which 

includes the Business Forum in Istanbul 

and one mission stop. The fee for each 

additional mission stop is $1,200 and 

there will be a $500 fee for each 

additional firm representative (large 

firm or SME). There is no additional fee 

for additional representatives at the 

same stop. The fee for firms to only 

participate in the Business Forum in 

Istanbul from May 13–15, 2024 is $750 

per attendee. 

If and when an applicant is selected 

to participate on a particular mission, a 

payment to the Department of 

Commerce in the amount of the 

designated participation fee is required. 

Upon notification of acceptance to 

participate, those selected have 5 

business days to submit payment or the 

acceptance may be revoked. 

Participants selected for a trade 

mission will be expected to pay for the 

cost of personal expenses, including, 

but not limited to, international travel, 

lodging, meals, transportation, 

communication, and incidentals, unless 

otherwise noted. Participants will, 

however, be able to take advantage of 

U.S. Government rates for hotel rooms. 

In the event that a mission is cancelled, 

no personal expenses paid in 

anticipation of a mission will be 

reimbursed. However, participation fees 

for a cancelled mission will be 

reimbursed to the extent they have not 

already been expended in anticipation 

of the mission. 

If a visa is required to travel on a 

particular mission, applying for and 

obtaining such a visa will be the 

responsibility of the mission 

participant. Government fees and 

processing expenses to obtain such a 

visa are not included in the 

participation fee. However, the 

Department of Commerce will provide 

instructions to each participant on the 

procedures required to obtain business 

visas. 

Trade mission members participate in 

trade missions and undertake missionrelated travel at their own risk. The 

nature of the security situation in a 

given foreign market at a given time 

cannot be guaranteed. The U.S. 

Government does not make any 

representations or guarantees as to the 

safety or security of participants. The 

U.S. Department of State issues U.S. 

Government international travel alerts 

and warnings for U.S. citizens available 

at https://travel.state.gov/content/ 

passports/en/alertswarnings.html. Any 

question regarding insurance coverage 

must be resolved by the participant and 

its insurer of choice. 

Travel and in-person activities are 

contingent upon the safety and health 

conditions in the United States and the 

mission countries. Should safety or 

health conditions not be appropriate for 

travel and/or in-person activities, the 

Department will consider postponing 

the event or offering a virtual program 

in lieu of an in-person agenda. In the 

event of a postponement, the 

Department will notify the public and 

applicants previously selected to 

participate in this mission will need to 

confirm their availability but need not 

reapply. Should the decision be made to 

organize a virtual program, the 

Department will adjust fees accordingly, 

prepare an agenda for virtual activities, 

and notify the previously selected 

applicants with the option to opt-in to 

the new virtual program. 

Timeframe for Recruitment and 

Applications 

Mission recruitment will be 

conducted in an open and public 

manner, including publication in the 

Federal Register, posting on the 

Department of Commerce trade mission 

calendar (http://export.gov/ 

trademissions) and other internet 

websites, press releases to general and 

trade media, direct mail, notices by 

industry trade associations and other 

multiplier groups, and publicity at 

industry meetings, symposia, 

conferences, and trade shows. 

Recruitment for the mission will begin 

immediately and conclude no later than 

March 31, 2024. The Department of 

Commerce will evaluate applications 

and inform applicants of selection 

decisions on a rolling basis until the 

maximum number of participants has 

been selected. Applications received 

after March 31, 2024, will be considered 

only if space and scheduling constraints 

permit. 

Contacts 

U.S. Contact Information 

Jim Mayfield, Director, U.S. Commercial 

Service Irvine, CA; Jim.Mayfield@

trade.gov, Tel: 949–246–1768 

Judy Kornfeld, National Events 

Manager, U.S. Commercial Service; 

Judy.Kornfeld@trade.gov, Tel: 202– 

482–1239 

Tu ̈rkiye Contact Information 

Yasue Pai, Principal Commercial 

Officer, U.S. Commercial Service 

Istanbul; Yasue.Pai@trade.gov, Tel: 

90–501–706–3388 

Gemal Brangman, 

Director, ITA Events Management Task Force. 

[FR Doc. 2023–26062 Filed 11–24–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DR–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

International Trade Administration 

[A–570–154] 

Certain Pea Protein From the People’s 

Republic of China: Postponement of 

Preliminary Determination in the LessThan-Fair-Value Investigation 

AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, 

International Trade Administration, 

Department of Commerce. 

DATES: Applicable November 27, 2023. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Katherine Smith at (202) 482–0557, AD/ 

CVD Operations, Office II, Enforcement 

and Compliance, International Trade 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 

NW, Washington, DC 20230. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

On August 1, 2023, the U.S. 

Department of Commerce (Commerce) 

initiated a less-than-fair-value (LTFV) 

investigation of imports of certain pea 

protein (pea protein) from the People’s 

Republic of China (China).1 Currently, 

the preliminary determination is due no 

later than December 19, 2023. 

Postponement of Preliminary 

Determination 

Section 733(b)(1)(A) of the Tariff Act 

of 1930, as amended (the Act), requires 

Commerce to issue the preliminary 

determination in an LTFV investigation 

within 140 days after the date on which 

Commerce initiated the investigation. 

However, section 733(c)(1)(A)(b)(1) of 

the Act permits Commerce to postpone 

the preliminary determination until no 

later than 190 days after the date on 

which Commerce initiated the 

investigation if: (A) the petitioner makes 

a timely request for a postponement; or 

(B) Commerce concludes that the parties 

concerned are cooperating, that the 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
82832 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 226 / Monday, November 27, 2023 / Notices 

2See Petitioner’s Letter, ‘‘Petitioner’s Request for 

Postponement of the Preliminary Determination,’’ 

dated November 14, 2023. 

3 Id. at 1. 

investigation is extraordinarily 

complicated, and that additional time is 

necessary to make a preliminary 

determination. Under 19 CFR 

351.205(e), the petitioner must submit a 

request for postponement 25 days or 

more before the scheduled date of the 

preliminary determination and must 

state the reasons for the request. 

Commerce will grant the request unless 

it finds compelling reasons to deny the 

request. 

On November 14, 2023, PURIS 

Proteins, LLC (the petitioner) submitted 

a timely request that Commerce 

postpone the preliminary determination 

in the LTFV investigation.2 The 

petitioner states that it requests 

postponement due to concerns that 

Commerce will need more time to 

evaluate questionnaire responses 

submitted by the mandatory 

respondents and issue supplemental 

questionnaires.3

For the reasons stated above and 

because there are no compelling reasons 

to deny the request, Commerce, in 

accordance with section 733(c)(1)(A) of 

the Act, is postponing the deadline for 

the preliminary determination by 50 

days (i.e., 190 days after the date on 

which this investigation was initiated). 

As a result, Commerce will issue its 

preliminary determination no later than 

February 7, 2023. In accordance with 

section 735(a)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 

351.210(b)(1), the deadline for the final 

determination of this investigation will 

continue to be 75 days after the date of 

the preliminary determination, unless 

postponed. 

Commerce is issuing and publishing 

this notice pursuant to section 733(c)(2) 

of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(f)(1). 

Dated: November 17, 2023. 

Abdelali Elouaradia, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement 

and Compliance. 

[FR Doc. 2023–26031 Filed 11–24–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XD534] 

Taking and Importing Marine 

Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals 

Incidental to Geophysical Surveys 

Related to Oil and Gas Activities in the 

Gulf of Mexico 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of issuance of letter of 

authorization. 

SUMMARY: 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 Echo Offshore LLC (Echo) for the take 

of marine mammals incidental to 

geophysical survey activity in the Gulf 

of Mexico (GOM). 

DATES: The LOA is effective from 

December 1, 2023 through December 31, 

2024. 

ADDRESSES: The LOA, LOA request, and 

supporting documentation are available 

online at: www.fisheries.noaa.gov/ 

action/incidental-take-authorization-oiland-gas-industry-geophysical-surveyactivity-gulf-mexico. In case of problems 

accessing these documents, please call 

the contact listed below (see FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jenna Harlacher, Office of Protected 

Resources, NMFS, (301) 427–8401. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the 

MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) direct 

the Secretary of Commerce to allow, 

upon request, the incidental, but not 

intentional, taking of small numbers of 

marine mammals by U.S. citizens who 

engage in a specified activity (other than 

commercial fishing) within a specified 

geographical region if certain findings 

are made and either regulations are 

issued or, if the taking is limited to 

harassment, a notice of a proposed 

authorization is provided to the public 

for review. 

An authorization for incidental 

takings shall be granted if NMFS finds 

that the taking will have a negligible 

impact on the species or stock(s), will 

not have an unmitigable adverse impact 

on the availability of the species or 

stock(s) for subsistence uses (where 

relevant), and if the permissible 

methods of taking and requirements 

pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring 

and reporting of such takings are set 

forth. NMFS has defined ‘‘negligible 

impact’’ in 50 CFR 216.103 as an impact 

resulting from the specified activity that 

cannot be reasonably expected to, and is 

not reasonably likely to, adversely affect 

the species or stock through effects on 

annual rates of recruitment or survival. 

Except with respect to certain 

activities not pertinent here, the MMPA 

defines ‘‘harassment’’ as: any act of 

pursuit, torment, or annoyance which (i) 

has the potential to injure a marine 

mammal or marine mammal stock in the 

wild (Level A harassment); or (ii) has 

the potential to disturb a marine 

mammal or marine mammal stock in the 

wild by causing disruption of behavioral 

patterns, including, but not limited to, 

migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, 

feeding, or sheltering (Level B 

harassment). 

On January 19, 2021, we issued a final 

rule with regulations to govern the 

unintentional taking of marine 

mammals incidental to geophysical 

survey activities conducted by oil and 

gas industry operators, and those 

persons authorized to conduct activities 

on their behalf (collectively ‘‘industry 

operators’’), in U.S. waters of the GOM 

over the course of 5 years (86 FR 5322, 

January 19, 2021). The rule was based 

on our findings that the total taking 

from the specified activities over the 5- 

year period will have a negligible 

impact on the affected species or 

stock(s) of marine mammals and will 

not have an unmitigable adverse impact 

on the availability of those species or 

stocks for subsistence uses. The rule 

became effective on April 19, 2021. 

Our regulations at 50 CFR 217.180 et 

seq. allow for the issuance of LOAs to 

industry operators for the incidental 

take of marine mammals during 

geophysical survey activities and 

prescribe the permissible methods of 

taking and other means of effecting the 

least practicable adverse impact on 

marine mammal species or stocks and 

their habitat (often referred to as 

mitigation), as well as requirements 

pertaining to the monitoring and 

reporting of such taking. Under 50 CFR 

217.186(e), issuance of an LOA shall be 

based on a determination that the level 

of taking will be consistent with the 

findings made for the total taking 

allowable under these regulations and a 

determination that the amount of take 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES