[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 58 (Monday, March 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12059-12060]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-7049]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Foreign-Trade Zones Board
[Docket 22-96]
Foreign-Trade Zone 43, Battle Creek, Michigan, Application for
Subzone Status; Abbott Manufacturing, Inc./Ross Products, Plant (Infant
Formula, Adult Nutritional Products), Sturgis, MI
An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board
(the Board) by the City of Battle Creek Michigan, grantee of FTZ 43,
requesting special-purpose subzone status for export activity at the
infant formula and adult nutritional products manufacturing plant of
Abbott Manufacturing, Inc. (AMI) (a subsidiary of Abbott Laboratories,
Inc.), located in Sturgis, Michigan. 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 March 12, 1996.
The plant (624,000 sq.ft. on 76 acres), known as the Ross Products
facility, is located at 901 N. Centreville Road, Sturgis (St. Joseph
County), Michigan, approximately 45 miles southwest of Battle Creek.
The facility (500 employees) is used to produce milk and sugar-based
infant formula and adult nutritional products for export and the
domestic market; however, zone procedures would be used only for
production for export. The production process involves blending
foreign, ex-quota milk powder and foreign, ex-quota sugar with
domestically-sourced oils, soy isolates, vitamins and minerals, and EZO
ends. Other foreign-sourced items that may be used in the export-
blending activity include: cocoa powder, pharmaceutical grade fat
emulsions, vitamins and minerals, and caseinates (up to 14% of finished
product value). All foreign-origin milk and sugar would be re-exported
as ingredients in finished blended products.
Zone procedures would exempt AMI from quota requirements and
Customs duty payments on the foreign milk and sugar products used in
the export activity and from Customs duty payments on the other foreign
ingredients involved. The application indicates that subzone status
would help improve the plant's international competitiveness.
In accordance with the Board's regulations, a member of the FTZ
Staff has been designated examiner to investigate the application and
report to the Board.
Public comment on the application is invited from interested
parties. Submissions (original and three copies) shall be addressed to
the Board's Executive Secretary at the address below. The closing
period for their receipt is May 24, 1996. Rebuttal comments in response
to material submitted during the foregoing period may be submitted
during the subsequent 15-day period (to June 10, 1996).
A copy of the application and the accompanying exhibits will be
available for public inspection at each of the following locations:
Office of the Port Director, U.S. Customs Service, 4950 West Dickman
Road, Battle Creek, MI 49015
Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, U.S.
Department of Commerce, Room 3716, 14th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue
NW., Washington, DC 20230-0002.
[[Page 12060]]
Dated: March 14, 1996.
John J. Da Ponte, Jr.,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-7049 Filed 3-22-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P
