[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 1, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 21740]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-10860]



[[Page 21740]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

[Docket 18-2001]


Foreign-Trade Zone 33--Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Application for 
Subzone, Sony Technology Center-Pittsburgh (Television Manufacturing 
Facilities) Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania

    An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board 
(the Board) by the Regional Industrial Development Corporation of 
Southwestern Pennsylvania, grantee of FTZ 33, requesting special-
purpose subzone status for the manufacturing and warehousing facilities 
of the Sony Technology Center-Pittsburgh (STC-P), located in Mount 
Pleasant, Pennsylvania. 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 April 23, 2001.
    The STC-P facility is comprised of three sites with 3,300 employees 
in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania: Site 1 (633.64 acres, currently 
with 3,550,000 square feet, with a possible expansion of 458,330 square 
feet)--located at 1001 Technology Drive, Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania; 
Site 2 (9.8 acres, 192,500 square feet)--located at the South 
Greensburg Commons at Huff and Parr Streets, Greensburg, Pennsylvania; 
and Site 3 (31.2 acres, 273,600 square feet)--located at the former 
Montgomery Wards Distribution Center on Route 119 in New Stanton, 
Pennsylvania.
    STC-P indicates that it intends to manufacture, test, package, and 
warehouse under zone procedures unfinished and finished television sets 
(HTSUS 8528, duty free-5%), components of television sets (HTSUS 8540, 
5.4%; HTSUS 7011, 5.2%), television tubes (HTSUS 8540, 3.3%-15%), 
specialty chemicals for the electronics industry (HTSUS 2916, 6.5%, 
HTSUS 3403, 6.5%) and thermal transfer ribbons (HTSUS 3921, 4.20%, HTS 
9612, 8.2%). Foreign-sourced materials will account for, on average, 
68% of the finished products value. STC-P indicates that the foreign 
sourced inputs would be as follows: Feldspar, salts of oxometallic or 
peroxometallic acids, hydrogen, silicates, other organo-inorganic 
compounds, glass frit, artificial graphite, polymers of vinyl chloride, 
polymers of vinyl acetate, polyacetals, silicones, self-adhesive 
sheets, rubber, packaging materials, glass parts of television tubes, 
pipe seal ribbon, screws, bolts, articles of aluminum, tungsten, 
electromagnets, heater evaporation coil, switches, relays, fuses, 
lenses, signaling glassware, base metal mountings, loudspeakers, 
unrecorded and recorded media, transmission apparatus, parts of 
televisions, electrical capacitors, electrical resistors, printed 
circuits, thin steel for aperture grilles (HTSUS 7209.18.2510 and 
7211.23.6075), electrical filament, cathode ray tubes, diodes, 
transistors, electronic integrated circuits and microassemblies, 
insulated wire, EMI shields, natural graphite, microcrystalline wax, 
unsaturated and saturated acyclic monocarboxylic acids, glass parts for 
television, casein, lubricating preparations, polishes and creams, 
prepared glues, polymers of ethylene and vinyl acetate, amino-resins, 
ribbons for impressions. The application also indicates that the 
company may in the future import under FTZ procedures other materials 
used in the production of televisions, thermal transfer ribbons and 
specialty chemicals.
    FTZ procedures would exempt STC-P from Customs duty payments on the 
foreign components used in export production. Some 17 percent of the 
plant's shipments are exported. On its domestic sales, STC-P would be 
able to choose the duty rates during Customs entry procedures that 
apply to finished products (duty free to 15%) for the foreign inputs 
noted above. However, the subzone plan indicates that certain 
manufacturing inputs, including cathode ray tubes, components of 
cathode ray tubes, stainless steel ribbon and pipe seal ribbon, will be 
admitted to the proposed subzone in privileged foreign status.
    The majority of zone savings would involve choosing the duty rate 
on unfinished televisions (HTSUS 8528.12.0800--duty-free) rather than 
the rate for the primary foreign-sourced components: loudspeakers, 
transmission apparatus, electrical capacitors, electrical resistors, 
printed circuits, diodes, transistors and similar semiconductor 
devices, integrated circuits, insulated electric conductors, electrical 
insulators, insulating fittings and EMI shields (HTSUS 8518.29.8000, 
8518.30.2000, 8525.30.9005, 8532.24.0020, 8533.10.0060, 8534.00, 8541, 
8542, 8544.20.0000, 8546.90.0000, 8548.90.000 duty rate ranges from 
duty-free to 5.3%). Application of the unfinished television 
classification requires that cathode ray tubes be evaluated separately. 
The application indicates that STC-P will admit foreign materials for 
the cathode ray tubes made at the plant in privileged foreign status. 
The request indicates that the savings from FTZ 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 3 copies) shall be addressed to the 
Board's Executive Secretary at the address below. The closing period 
for their receipt is July 2, 2001. Rebuttal comments in response to 
material submitted during the foregoing period may be submitted during 
the subsequent 15-day period (to July 2, 2001.
    A copy of the application and the accompanying exhibits will be 
available for public inspection at each of the following locations:
U.S. Department of Commerce, Export Assistance Center, 2002 Federal 
Building, 1000 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.
Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, Room 
4008, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20230.

    Dated: April 23, 2001.
Dennis Puccinelli,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-10860 Filed 4-30-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P