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AMS, EPA, NOAA, and Commerce Post Regulatory Actions With July 23 Comment Deadlines
Four federal agencies published rules and findings on June 23, 2026, covering cotton import assessments, new chemical submissions, Pacific groundfish closures, and Korean steel nail dumping.
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is proposing to amend the Cotton Board Rules and Regulations to decrease the value assigned to imported cotton for the purposes of calculating supplemental assessments collected for use by the Cotton Research and Promotion Program. AMS states the amendment is required each year to ensure that assessments collected on imported cotton, and the cotton content of imported products, will be the same as those paid on domestically produced cotton. AMS is also updating the Import Assessment Table to account for changes since the last assessment adjustment in 2024. Comments are due July 23, 2026.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced receipt of new chemical submissions under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), including a Premanufacture Notice (PMN), Significant New Use Notice (SNUN), Microbial Commercial Activity Notice (MCAN), an amendment to a previously submitted notice, test information, a biotechnology exemption application, an application for a test marketing exemption (TME), and a notice of commencement of manufacture (NOC) for a new chemical substance. The document covers new chemical submissions that passed an initial screening and, for PMNs, SNUNs, and MCANs, were determined to be complete during the period from April 1, 2026, to April 30, 2026, regardless of initial submission date. EPA is providing notice of receipt and an opportunity to comment, as required by TSCA; that comment period also closes July 23, 2026. The document additionally provides a periodic status report on new chemical substances currently under EPA review or that have recently concluded review.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NMFS) issued final regulations to remove the Cordell Bank Groundfish Conservation Area off central California for all groundfish fisheries and implement a new Groundfish Exclusion Area for all groundfish fisheries to protect sensitive habitat. NMFS states the action is intended to simplify regulatory complexity associated with overlapping fishery closures in the Cordell Bank area and to increase fishing opportunities while still protecting the Cordell Bank ecosystem. Those regulations took effect June 23, 2026.
The U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration found that certain producers and exporters of steel nails from the Republic of Korea made sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value during the period of review from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024. The National Institutes of Health's Center for Scientific Review published a notice of closed meetings; no additional summary information was available.
What to watch
- July 23, 2026 — Comment deadline for AMS proposed rule on cotton import assessment values and updated Import Assessment Table.
- July 23, 2026 — Comment deadline for EPA TSCA new chemical receipt and status notice covering submissions complete April 1–30, 2026.
Related
Sources
17 citedEvery hard fact above is grounded in and cited to a primary source record.
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AMS is proposing to amend the Cotton Board Rules and Regulations to decrease the value assigned to imported cotton for the purposes of calculating supplemental assessments.
federalregister.gov -
AMS is updating the Import Assessment Table to account for changes since the last assessment adjustment in 2024.
federalregister.gov -
The comment deadline for the AMS cotton import assessment proposed rule is July 23, 2026.
federalregister.gov -
The proposing agency is the Agricultural Marketing Service within the Agriculture Department.
federalregister.gov -
EPA announced receipt of new chemical submissions under TSCA, including a PMN, SNUN, MCAN, an amendment to a previously submitted notice, test information, a biotechnology exemption application, a TME application, and an NOC for a new chemical substance.
federalregister.gov -
The EPA document covers new chemical submissions that passed an initial screening and, for PMNs, SNUNs, and MCANs, were determined to be complete during the period from April 1, 2026, to April 30, 2026, regardless of initial submission date.
federalregister.gov -
EPA is providing notice of receipt and an opportunity to comment as required by TSCA.
federalregister.gov -
The EPA TSCA comment deadline is July 23, 2026.
federalregister.gov -
The EPA document provides a periodic status report on new chemical substances currently under EPA review or that have recently concluded review.
federalregister.gov -
NMFS issued final regulations to remove the Cordell Bank Groundfish Conservation Area off central California for all groundfish fisheries.
federalregister.gov -
NMFS is implementing a new Groundfish Exclusion Area for all groundfish fisheries to protect sensitive habitat.
federalregister.gov -
NMFS states the action is intended to simplify regulatory complexity associated with overlapping fishery closures in the Cordell Bank area.
federalregister.gov -
NMFS states the action is intended to increase fishing opportunities while still protecting the Cordell Bank ecosystem.
federalregister.gov -
The NMFS final regulations were effective June 23, 2026.
federalregister.gov -
The NIH Center for Scientific Review published a notice of closed meetings.
federalregister.gov -
The AMS amendment is required each year to ensure that assessments collected on imported cotton, and the cotton content of imported products, will be the same as those paid on domestically produced cotton.
federalregister.gov -
The Commerce Department's International Trade Administration found that certain producers and exporters of steel nails from the Republic of Korea made sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value during the period of review from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024.
federalregister.gov