[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 94 (Tuesday, May 14, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 24271]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-11938]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
[Docket 36-96]


Foreign-Trade Zone 7--Mayaguez, PR; Application for Subzone 
Status, Mani Can Corporation Facilities, (Steel Cans), Mayaguez, Puerto 
Rico

    An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board 
(the Board) by the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company, grantee 
of FTZ 7, requesting special-purpose subzone status for the easy-open 
steel can processing facilities of Mani Can Corporation (MCC) (a 
wholly-owned affiliate of Star-Kist Foods, Inc., in turn wholly owned 
by the H. J. Heinz Company), located in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. 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 May 7, 1996.
    The proposed subzone would consist of MCC's two steel can 
processing facilities located within the Industrial Port Urbanization 
area of the City of Mayaguez: Site 1 (120,000 sq.ft. on 10 acres)--
located on Lots 9, 10, 11, and 12 at Street No. 3 and the Mani-
Sabanetas Highway; and, Site 2 (104,000 sq.ft.) within a building 
located at Gonzalez Clemente Avenue and Street No. 3, some 475 meters 
east of Site 1. The facilities (150 employees) are used to fabricate 
cans and related can parts (sheets, easy-open ends, sanitary ends) used 
for food products (e.g., tuna fish, pet food). The production process 
involves cutting steel coils, pressing, enamel coating, and packaging. 
Some 70 percent of the steel coils would be purchased from abroad, 
including tin free steel (HTSUS #7210.50; duty rate-4.6%) and electro-
tin plated steel (HTSUS #7210.11; 2.8%). The finished cans and parts 
are mostly sold to Heinz-affiliated canning plants in Puerto Rico, 
California, Kansas, and Pennsylvania.
    Zone procedures would exempt MCC from Customs duty payments on the 
foreign steel used in the export production. On its domestic sales, the 
company would be able to choose the duty rates that apply to the 
finished cans (duty free) and can ends (4.7%) for the foreign steel 
inputs noted above. Zone procedures would also exempt certain foreign 
steel that becomes scrap during the production process (about 10%) from 
Customs duties. The application indicates that subzone status would 
help improve the international competitiveness of the MCC plant as well 
as other Heinz-affiliated domestic canning facilities. .
    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 July 15, 1996. Rebuttal comments in 
response to material submitted during the foregoing period may be 
submitted during the subsequent 15-day period (to July 29, 1996).
    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, District Office, Federal Building, Room G-
55, Chardon Avenue, Hato Rey, PR 00918
Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, Room 3716, 14th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue 
NW., Washington, DC 20230-0002.

    Dated: May 7, 1996.
Dennis Puccinelli,
Acting Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-11938 Filed 5-13-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P