[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 133 (Monday, July 13, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 37515]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-18600]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Foreign-Trade Zones Board
[Docket 35-98]
Foreign-Trade Zone 122--Corpus Christi, Texas; Application for
Foreign-Trade Subzone Status; Ultramar Diamond Shamrock Corporation;
Oil Refinery
An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board
(the Board) by the Port of Corpus Christi Authority, grantee of FTZ
122, requesting special-purpose subzone status for the oil refinery and
petrochemical complex of Diamond Shamrock Refining Company L.P. (an
affiliate of Ultramar Diamond Shamrock Corporation), located in Three
Rivers, Texas. 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
June 30, 1998.
The refinery and petrochemical complex (463 acres, 300 employees)
is located at 301 Leroy Street on the Frio River, Three Rivers (Live
Oak County), Texas, some 75 miles northwest of Corpus Christi. The
refinery (90,000 BPD) is used to produce fuels and petrochemical
feedstocks. Fuel products include gasoline, jet fuel, distillates,
residual fuels, naphthas and motor fuel blendstocks. Petrochemical
feedstocks and refinery by-products include methane, ethane, propane,
liquid natural gas, propylene, ethylene, butylene, butane, butadiene,
cumene, benzene, toluene, xylene, petroleum coke, asphalt and sulfur.
Some 90-95 percent of the crude oil (99 percent of inputs), and some
motor fuel blendstocks are sourced abroad.
Zone procedures would exempt the refinery from Customs duty
payments on the foreign products used in its exports. On domestic
sales, the company would be able to choose the Customs duty rates that
apply to certain petrochemical feedstocks and refinery by-products
(duty-free) by admitting incoming foreign crude oil and natural gas
condensate in non-privileged foreign status. The duty rates on inputs
range from 5.25 cents/barrel to 10.5 cents/barrel. Under the FTZ Act,
certain merchandise in FTZ status is exempt from ad valorem inventory-
type taxes. The application indicates that the savings from zone
procedures would help improve the refinery'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 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
September 11, 1998. Rebuttal comments in response to material submitted
during the foregoing period may be submitted during the subsequent 15-
day period (to September 28, 1998.)
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, export Assistance Center, 222 N. Main,
Suite 450, San Antonio, Texas 78212
Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, Room
3716, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th & Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC 20230
Dated: July 2, 1998.
Dennis Puccinelli,
Acting Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-18600 Filed 7-10-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P
