[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 235 (Wednesday, December 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 76217]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-31106]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

[Docket 64-2000]


Foreign-Trade Zone 133-Rock Island, Illinois; Application For 
Foreign-Trade Subzone Status, Deere & Company (Construction Equipment), 
Davenport, Iowa

    An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board 
(the Board) by the Quad-City Foreign-Trade Zone, Inc., grantee of FTZ 
133, requesting special-purpose subzone status for the manufacturing 
facility (construction equipment) of Deere & Company (Deere), located 
in Davenport, Iowa. The application was submitted pursuant to 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 
November 17, 2000.
    The Deere facility is located at the intersection of Highway 61 and 
Mt. Joy Road in Davenport, Iowa. This facility (2.2 million square 
feet; 900 employees) is used for the development and manufacture of 
construction equipment (heavy-duty four-wheel-drive loaders, motor 
graders, and heavy-duty wheeled log skidders). Deere uses some foreign-
sourced components in the manufactures of these products. However, most 
of those items enter the U.S. duty-free. The only foreign-sourced items 
for which Deere is seeking to gain FTZ benefits are transmissions, 
controllers, and shifters, all of which are only used in the production 
of four-wheel drive loaders (these components represent approximately 
24.3% of the production cost of the loaders). Duty rates on these 
imported components range from 2.5% to 2.7%.
    Zone procedures would exempt Deere from Customs duty payments on 
foreign components used in export production. On its domestic sales, 
Deere would be able to choose the lower duty rate that applies to the 
finished products (duty-free) for the foreign components noted above. 
FTZ status may also make a site eligible for benefits provided under 
state/local programs. The application indicates that the savings from 
zone procedures 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 February 5, 2001. Rebuttal comments in 
response to material submitted during the foregoing period may be 
submitted during the subsequent 15-day period to February 20, 2001.
    A copy of the application and the accompanying exhibits will be 
available for public inspection at each of the following locations: 
Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, Room 4008, 14th and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC. 20230. Quad-City Foreign-Trade Zone, Inc., 1830 Second 
Avenue, Suite 200, Rock Island, Illinois 61201.

    Dated: November 27,2000.
Dennis Puccinelli,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-31106 Filed 12-5-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P