Notice2023-04457
Foreign-Trade Zone 186; Application for Production Authority; Flemish Master Weavers; (Machine-Made Woven Area Rugs); Sanford, Maine
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
March 6, 2023
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentForeign-Trade Zones Board
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 43 (Monday, March 6, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 43 (Monday, March 6, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 13778]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-04457]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Foreign-Trade Zones Board
[B-14-2023]
Foreign-Trade Zone 186; Application for Production Authority;
Flemish Master Weavers; (Machine-Made Woven Area Rugs); Sanford, Maine
An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ)
Board by the City of Waterville, Maine, grantee of FTZ 186, requesting
production authority on behalf of Flemish Master Weavers (FMW), located
within Subzone 186A in Sanford, Maine. The application conforming to
the requirements of the regulations of the FTZ Board (15 CFR 400.23)
was docketed on February 28, 2023.
In 2016, the FMW facility (147 employees) received limited FTZ
authority to produce machine-made woven area rugs using polypropylene
and polyester yarns in privileged foreign (PF) status (19 CFR 146.41),
which precludes inverted tariff benefits on those inputs (see 81 FR
51850, August 5, 2016).
In 2017, FMW requested authority to admit continuous filament
polypropylene (CFPP) yarn in nonprivileged foreign (NPF) status (19 CFR
146.42) (B-28-2017, 82 FR 26434, 6/7/2017). That request was approved
subject to the following restrictions: (1) the annual quantitative
volume of CFPP yarn that FMW may admit into Subzone 186A under NPF
status was limited to 3 million kilograms; and (2) approval was limited
to an initial period of five years, subject to extension upon review
(Board Order 2071, 83 FR 54709, 10/31/2018).
In 2022, in a notification proceeding, FMW requested to remove the
restriction requiring admission in PF status for CFPP yarn--to which
FMW's operation would otherwise be subject beginning on October 25,
2023 (upon expiration of the time-limited authority approved in Board
Order 2071). See B-33-2022, 87 FR 48149, August 8, 2022. In that case,
the FTZ Board decided that further review was needed in the more
detailed application process to allow adequate examination of current
industry conditions facing U.S. CFPP yarn and woven area rug producers.
If approved, FMW would be able to choose the duty rates during
customs entry procedures that apply to machine-made woven area rugs
(duty free) for the foreign-status inputs noted below. FMW would be
able to avoid duty on foreign-status components which become scrap/
waste. Customs duties also could possibly be deferred or reduced on
foreign-status production equipment. The request indicates that the
savings from FTZ procedures would help improve the plant's
international competitiveness.
Components and materials sourced from abroad (representing 65% of
the value of the finished product) include: single and two-ply
continuous filament polypropylene yarn (duty rates are 8.8% and 8%
respectively). As requested, FTZ authority would be subject to a
restriction limiting the annual quantitative volume of CFPP yarn that
FMW may admit into Subzone 186A under NPF status to 3 million
kilograms. The request indicates that certain materials/components are
subject to duties under section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 (section
301), depending on the country of origin. The applicable section 301
decisions require subject merchandise to be admitted to FTZs in PF
status.
In accordance with the FTZ Board's regulations, Diane Finver of the
FTZ Staff is designated examiner to evaluate and analyze the facts and
information presented in the application and case record and to report
findings and recommendations to the FTZ Board.
Public comment is invited from interested parties. Submissions
shall be addressed to the FTZ Board's Executive Secretary and sent to:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e781939da79395868382c9808891"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1a7c6e605a6e687b7e7f347d756c">[email protected]</span></a>. The closing period for their receipt is May 5, 2023.
Rebuttal comments in response to material submitted during the
foregoing period may be submitted during the subsequent 15-day period
to May 22, 2023.
A copy of the application will be available for public inspection
in the ``Online FTZ Information Section'' section of the FTZ Board's
website, which is accessible via <a href="http://www.trade.gov/ftz">www.trade.gov/ftz</a>.
For further information, contact Diane Finver at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#52163b333c377c143b3c2437201226203336377c353d24"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5d19343c3338731b34332b382f1d292f3c3938733a322b">[email protected]</span></a>.
Dated: February 28, 2023.
Elizabeth Whiteman,
Acting Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-04457 Filed 3-3-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on March 6, 2023.
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