[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 114 (Tuesday, June 13, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37114-37115]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-14896]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

[Docket 26-2000]


Foreign-Trade Zone 93--Raleigh/Durham, NC; Application for 
Subzone Status, Pergo, Inc., Plant (Laminate--Particle Board Flooring); 
Garner, North Carolina

    An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board 
(the Board) by the Triangle J Council of Governments, grantee of FTZ 
93, requesting special-purpose subzone status for the laminate-particle 
board flooring manufacturing plant of Pergo, Inc. (a subsidiary of 
Perstorp AB, of Sweden), located in Garner, North Carolina. 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 5, 2000.
    The Pergo plant (102 acres/130,000 sq. ft.) is located within the 
Greenfield Industrial Park at 2000 Perstorp Parkway, Garner (Wake 
County), North Carolina, some 20 miles southeast of Raleigh. The 
facility (275 employees) is used to produce laminate-particle board 
flooring (HTSUS# 4410.19.0020), and to distribute foreign-made laminate 
flooring products with a particle board, paperboard, plastic, or other 
inorganic core for export and the U.S. market. The production process 
involves combining decorative plastic laminate and backing paper to 
particle board, which is then milled into tiles or planks. The 
completed flooring is then combined with moldings, glue and 
installation accessories to be shipped as a completed flooring system. 
The application indicates that additional laminate floor covering 
products may be produced with tileboard, paperboard, and/or 
polyurethane sheet in the future. Foreign-origin components used in 
manufacturing (currently 100%) include: sealants/adhesives/glue, 
fiberboard, particle board, decorative plastic laminate; and, backing 
paper and laminate. Additional foreign-sourced materials and components 
to be distributed with the completed laminate flooring include: Glues/
sealants/caulking, installation kits, hand tools, cleaning kits; and, 
molding and trim of plastic, fiberboard and aluminum (duty rate range: 
free--6.0%).
    FTZ procedures would exempt Pergo from Customs duty payments on the 
foreign materials and components used in export production. On its 
domestic sales of the manufactured flooring, the company would be able 
to choose the duty rate that applies to finished laminate-particle 
board flooring (duty free as particle board under 4410.19.0020) for the 
decorative plastic laminate raw material noted above. Pergo would be 
able to defer Customs duty payments on the foreign-origin finished 
flooring products and related materials that would be admitted to the 
proposed subzone for U.S. distribution. 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 August 14, 2000. Rebuttal comments in 
response to material submitted during the foregoing period may be 
submitted during the subsequent 15-day period (to August 28, 2000).
    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--Raleigh/Durham, 
Suite 500, 120 South Center Court, Morrisville, NC 27560
Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, Room 4008, 14th Street & Constitution Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20230-0002

    Dated: June 5, 2000.
Dennis Puccinelli,
Acting Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-14896 Filed 6-12-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P