[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 231 (Thursday, November 30, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71298-71299]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-30563]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

[Docket 60-2000]


Foreign-Trade Zone 35B--Philadelphia Regional Port Authority; 
Expansion of Facilities and Manufacturing Authority--Subzone 35B; Merck 
& Co., Inc. Plant (Pharmaceuticals) West Point, PA

    An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board 
(the Board) by the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority, grantee of FTZ 
35, pursuant to Sec. 400.32(b)(1) of the Board's regulations (15 CFR 
part 400), requesting on behalf of Merck & Co., Inc. (Merck), to add 
capacity and to expand the scope of manufacturing authority under zone 
procedures at Subzone 35B, at the Merck pharmaceutical plant in West 
Point, Pennsylvania. It was formally filed on November 17, 2000.
    Subzone 35B was approved by the Board in 1994 at a single site (387 
acres, 4,230,000 sq. ft., 83 bldgs.) located at Sunneytown Pike and 
Broad Street, in the town of West Point, Montgomery County, 
Pennsylvania, some 15 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The facility 
(9,500 employees) is used to produce a range of human health products. 
Merck is now proposing to add 23 buildings (totaling 2,087,280 sq. ft) 
and 18 acres. The proposed subzone would then include 106 bldgs., 
consisting of 6,317,280 sq. ft. (a 49% increase) on 405 acres.
    The application also requests to expand the scope of authority for 
manufacturing activity conducted under FTZ procedures at Subzone 35B to 
include additional general categories of inputs that have recently been 
approved by the Board for other pharmaceutical plants. They include 
chemically pure sugars, empty capsules for pharmaceutical use, protein 
concentrates, natural magnesium phosphates and carbonates, gypsum, 
anhydrite and plasters, petroleum jelly, paraffin and waxes, sulfuric 
acid, other inorganic acids or compounds of nonmetals, ammonia, zinc 
oxide, titanium oxides, fluorides, chlorates, sulfates, salts of 
oxometallic acids, radioactive chemical elements, compounds of rare 
earth metals, acyclic hydrocarbons, derivatives of phenols or 
peroxides, acetals and hemiacetals, phosphoric esters and their salts, 
diazo-compounds, glands for therapeutic uses, wadding, gauze and 
bandages, pharmaceutical glaze, hair preparations, lubricating 
preparations, albumins, prepared glues and adhesives, catalytic 
preparations, diagnostic or laboratory reagents, prepared binders, 
acrylic polymers, self-adhesive plates and sheets, other articles of 
vulcanized rubber, plastic cases, cartons, boxes, printed books, 
brochures and similar printed matter, carboys, bottles, and flasks, 
stoppers, caps, and lids, aluminum foil, tin plates and sheets, taps, 
cocks and valves, and medical instruments and appliances.
    FTZ procedures would exempt Merck from Customs duty payments on the 
foreign components used in export activity. On its domestic sales, the 
company would be able to elect the duty rates that applies to finished 
products (primarily duty-free for finished pharmaceuticals and up to 
14.6% for intermediates) for the foreign materials noted above (duty 
rates ranging from duty-free to 14.5%). The application indicates that 
the expanded use of FTZ procedures will help improve Merck's 
international competitiveness.
    The application has requested review under Sec. 400.32(b)(1) of the 
FTZ Board regulations on the basis that the proposed activity is the 
same, in terms of products involved, to activity recently approved by 
the Board and similar in circumstances.
    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 January 2, 2001. Rebuttal comments in 
response to material submitted during the foregoing period may be 
submitted during the subsequent 15-day period (to January 16, 2001).
    Copies of the applications will be available for public inspection 
at the following locations:


[[Page 71299]]


U.S. Department of Commerce, Export Assistance Center, 615 Chestnut 
St., Suite 1501, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, Room 
4008, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue, 
NW, Washington, DC 20230

    Dated: November 17, 2000.
Dennis Puccinelli,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-30563 Filed 11-29-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P