[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 67 (Friday, April 5, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15216-15217]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-8369]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Foreign-Trade Zones Board
[Docket 25-96]
Foreign-Trade Zone 14--Little Rock, Arkansas; Application for
Subzone; Mid States Pipe Fabricating, Inc. (Steel Pipe); El Dorado, AR
An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board
(the Board) by the Little Rock Port Authority on behalf of the
Industrial Development Commission of the State of Arkansas, grantee of
FTZ 14, requesting special-purpose subzone status for the steel pipe
fabrication facilities of Mid States Pipe Fabricating, Inc. (Mid
States), located in El Dorado, Arkansas, some 110 miles south of Little
Rock. 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 25, 1996.
This application replaces and closes the file on an earlier
application filed in 1993 and still pending involving a Mid States
plant in Harlingen, Texas (FTZ Doc. 58-93, filed 11/24/93, 58 FR 63911,
12/3/93). Mid States closed its Harlingen plant in 1995 and relocated
the operations to the El Dorado, Arkansas, plant that is the subject of
this application.
The Mid States El Dorado facilities consist of two sites within the
City of El Dorado, Arkansas. The main facility (70,000 sq. ft. on 14
acres) is located at 1130 East Main Street. The second facility is
located at 205 Hurley Road (33,000 sq. ft. on 29 acres). The facilities
(100 employees) are used to fabricate steel and steel alloy pipe (\1/
2\'' to 60'' outer diameter). The pipe is used by the oil refining,
chemical processing, paper production, power generation, and motor
vehicle manufacturing industries.
[[Page 15217]]
Foreign-origin materials used in the manufacturing process include:
iron and steel (alloy or non-alloy including carbon, stainless and
chrome) pipes, flanges, elbows, fittings, swage nipples and related
items. (Foreign materials would be admitted in privileged foreign
status (19 CFR 146.41)).
Zone procedures would exempt Mid States from Customs duty payments
on the foreign materials used in export production (20% of output). On
domestic sales, the company would be able to defer Customs duties until
finished products are shipped from the plant. The company is also
seeking an exemption from the Customs duty on scrap and waste that
results from the production process (3%). The foreign materials and
finished products held for export would be eligible for an exemption
from certain state and local ad valorem taxes. The application
indicates that the savings from zone procedures would help improve the
plants' 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 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
June 4, 1996. Rebuttal comments in response to material submitted
during the foregoing period may be submitted during the subsequent 15-
day period June 19, 1996.
A copy of the application and accompanying exhibits will be
available for public inspection at each of the following locations:
U.S. Department of Commerce District Office, 425 W. Capitol Avenue, 7th
Floor, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, Room
3716, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th & Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20230.
Dated: March 28, 1996.
John J. Da Ponte, Jr.,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-8369 Filed 4-4-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P
