[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 91 (Wednesday, May 12, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 25477]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-12017]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Foreign-Trade Zones Board
[Docket 18-99]
Foreign-Trade Subzone 59A--Lincoln, NE, Request for Removal of
Board Order Condition; Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A.
(Industrial Robots)
An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board
(the Board) by Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A. (KMM),
operator of FTZ 59A, requesting removal of the time restriction on
manufacturing authority for industrial robots pursuant to Board Order
745 (60 FR 30517, 6-9-95), which authorized the manufacture of
industrial robots under FTZ procedures for an initial period ending
July 1, 1999, subject to extension. It was formally filed on May 3,
1999.
Subzone 59A was approved by the Board in 1980 with authority
granted for the manufacture of motorcycles, jet skis, and four wheel
all-terrain vehicles (Board Order 163, 45 FR 58637, 9-4-80). The
subzone was subsequently expanded in 1994 (Board Order 712, 59 FR
66891, 12-28-94). The Board later approved the manufacture of off-road,
utility work trucks and industrial robots with 6 or more axes of motion
under FTZ procedures for the U.S. market and export (Board Orders 744
and 745, 60 FR 30517, 6-9-95) . KMM is now requesting that the
manufacturing authority for industrial robots be extended on a
permanent basis. Foreign-sourced components comprise approximately 60
percent of the finished robots' FOB value and include: plastic parts,
rubber belts, fasteners, metal fittings, air pumps/compressors, data
processing equipment (controllers), optical readers, valves and
switches, electric motors and transformers, transmissions/gear boxes,
diodes, transistors, semiconductors, liquid crystal devices, and
measuring instruments (duty rate range: free-9.0%).
FTZ procedures exempt KMM from Customs duty payments on the foreign
components used in export production. On its domestic sales, the
company can choose the duty rate that applies to finished industrial
robots (HTSUS 8479.50.0000, 2.5%) for the foreign components noted
above. The request indicates that the savings from FTZ procedures will
continue to help improve the facility'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 July 12, 1999. Rebuttal comments in
response to material submitted during the foregoing period may be
submitted during the subsequent 15-day period (to July 26, 1999).
A copy of the application and the accompanying exhibits will be
available for public inspection at the following location: 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.
Dated: May 3, 1999.
Dennis Puccinelli,
Acting Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-12017 Filed 5-11-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P
