[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 23, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 17875]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-9985]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
[Docket 28-96]


Foreign-Trade Zone 138--Columbus, OH, Application for Subzone 
Status; Abbott Manufacturing, Inc./Ross Products, Plant (Infant 
Formula, Adult Nutritional Products), Columbus, OH

    An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board 
(the Board) by the Rickenbacker Port Authority, grantee of FTZ 138, 
requesting special-purpose subzone status for export activity at the 
infant formula and adult nutritional products manufacturing plant of 
Abbott Manufacturing, Inc. (AMI) (a subsidiary of Abbott Laboratories, 
Inc.), located in Columbus, Ohio. 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 9, 1996.
    The plant (642,000 sq. ft. on 56 acres), known as the Ross Products 
facility, is located at 585 Cleveland Avenue in the City of Columbus 
(Franklin County), Ohio. The facility (560 employees) is used to 
produce milk and sugar-based infant formula and adult nutritional 
products for export and the domestic market; however, zone procedures 
would be used only for production for export. The production process 
involves blending foreign, ex-quota milk powder and foreign, ex-quota 
sugar with domestically-sourced oils, soy isolates, vitamins and 
minerals, and EZO ends. Other foreign-sourced items that may be used in 
the export-blending activity include: cocoa powder, pharmaceutical 
grade fat emulsions, vitamins and minerals, and caseinates (up to 14% 
of finished product value). All foreign-origin milk and sugar would be 
re-exported as finished blended products.
    Zone procedures would exempt AMI from quota requirements and 
Customs duty payments on the foreign milk and sugar products used in 
the export activity and from Customs duty payments on the other foreign 
ingredients involved. The application indicates that subzone status 
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 June 24, 1996. Rebuttal comments in 
response to material submitted during the foregoing period may be 
submitted during the subsequent 15-day period (to July 8, 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, 4th Floor, 37 North High 
Street, Columbus, OH 43215.
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: April 12, 1996.
John J. Da Ponte, Jr.,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-9985 Filed 4-22-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P