The marine terminal, which is 18 miles offshore, and the undersea pipeline beyond the 12- mile U.S. territorial limit is not included in the request because the U.S. Customs Service has determined that they are outside of Customs territory. Operations and control of zone merchandise at all sites will be handled by LOOP Inc. Zone procedures would allow LOOP customers to defer Customs duty payment on foreign crude oil while it is in the LOOP system. On shipments of foreign crude to domestic refineries with subzone status, LOOP customers would be able to maintain the appropriate zone status of the crude so that these refineries can use zone procedures as authorized by the FTZ Board. This procedure will give these refineries the same opportunity to use zone procedures for foreign crude delivered from the LOOP system as those refineries with subzone status that take direct delivery of foreign crude from vessels. 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 is invited from interested parties.
The closing period for their receipt is January 30, 1995. John J. Da Ponte, Jr., Executive Secretary.