[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 232 (Friday, December 3, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 67845]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-31418]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Foreign-Trade Zones Board
[Docket No. 61-99]
Foreign-Trade Zone 103--Grand Forks, North Dakota Application for
Subzone Imation Enterprises Corporation Wahpeton, North Dakota
An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board
(the Board) by the Grand Forks Regional Airport Authority, grantee of
FTZ 103, requesting special-purpose subzone status for the
manufacturing facilities (data storage products) of Imation Enterprises
Corporation (Imation), located in the Wahpeton, North Dakota area. The
application was submitted pursuant to the provisions of the Foreign-
Trade Zones Act, as amended (19 U.S.C. 81a-81u), and the regulations of
the Board (15 CFR part 400). It was formally filed on November 24,
1999.
Imation Enterprises Corporation has two sites with 510 employees in
the Wahpeton, North Dakota area. Site 1 (95 acres) is located at 2100
15th Street North, Wahpeton, North Dakota; Site 2 (17 acres) is located
at 1205 North Tower Road, Route 2, Fergus Falls, Minnesota. The Imation
facilities are used for the manufacturing, testing, packaging and
warehousing of magnetic floppy diskettes, cartridges, cassettes,
cassette parts, and CD-RW (HTS 3923, 3926, 8523.20 and 8523.90, duty
free). Components and materials sourced from abroad (representing some
95% of all parts consumed in manufacturing) include: carbon black, iron
oxides, polypropylene, polystyrene and polycarbonate resins, acrylic
polymers, silicones, articles of plastic and paper, helical springs,
pigments, stainless steel tape guides, and amino resins (HTS 2803,
2821, 3212, 3902-3910, 3923, 2926, 4807, 4811, 4819, 4821, 4823,
7326.90 and 8523 duty rate ranges from duty free to 10.2%). The
application also indicates that the company may in the future import
under FTZ procedures other materials used in the production of data
storage products.
FTZ procedures would exempt Imation from Customs duty payments on
the foreign components used in export production. Some 50 percent of
the plant's shipments are exported. On its domestic sales, Imation
would be able to choose the duty rates during Customs entry procedures
that apply to finished data storage products (duty free) for the
foreign inputs noted above. Also, Imation has submitted applications
for subzone status at three additional locations, and products shipped
to facilities with subzone status could be further processed while
remaining in zone status. The request indicates that the savings from
FTZ procedures would help improve the plant's international
competitiveness.
In accordance with the Board's regulations, a member of the FTZ
staff has been appointed examiner to investigate the application and
report to the Board.
Public comment on the application is invited from interested
parties. Submissions (original and 3 copies) shall be addressed to the
Board's Executive Secretary at the address below. The closing period
for their receipt is February 1, 2000. Rebuttal comments in response to
material submitted during the foregoing period may be submitted during
the subsequent 15-day period (to February 16, 2000).
A copy of the application and the accompanying exhibits will be
available for public inspection at each of the following locations:
U.S. Customs Service, Hector International Airport, 1801 23rd Avenue,
N., Room 105, Fargo, ND 58102
Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, Room
4008, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20230.
Dated: November 24, 1999.
Dennis Puccinelli,
Acting Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-31418 Filed 12-2-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P
