[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 176 (Monday, September 13, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49441-49442]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-23772]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board
[Docket 43-99]


Foreign-Trade Zone 49--Newark/ Elizabeth, NJ; Application for 
Subzone, Firmenich, Inc. (Flavor and Fragrance Products) Plainsboro and 
Port Newark, NJ

    An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board 
(the Board) by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, grantee 
of FTZ 49, Newark/Elizabeth, NJ, requesting special-purpose subzone 
status for the flavor and fragrance manufacturing facilities of 
Firmenich, Inc., located in Plainsboro and Port Newark, New Jersey. 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 September 1, 
1999.
    The Firmenich, Inc. facilities are located at 250 Plainsboro Road 
(384,220 sq. ft. on 58 acres, 575 employees), Plainsboro and at 150 
Firmenich Way (833,041 sq. ft. on 19 acres, 129 employees), Port 
Newark. The facilities are used to produce a variety of flavor and 
fragrance products, which are used in perfumes, cosmetics, soaps, 
detergents, personal care products, prepared foods, soft drinks, dairy 
foods, pharmaceuticals, dietary foods and confectionary products. Most 
of the finished products are categorized as flavor and fragrance 
products (duty rate--zero). The products are blended from numerous 
natural and synthetic ingredients, including a number of natural 
compounds not available in the U.S. Foreign-sourced materials may, 
depending on the product, account for a substantial portion of the 
finished products' value. It is estimated that overall foreign-sourced 
materials account for some 75 percent of total material value.
    The foreign-sourced materials which will account for the primary 
FTZ savings are as follows:

Essential Oils..............................  HTSUS 3301.13.0000, 4.6%
                                              HTSUS 3301.12.0000, 3.2%
Heterocyclic compounds with nitrogen hetero-  HTSUS 2933.39.2700, 9.5%
 atoms.
Heterocyclic compounds with oxygen hetero-    HTSUS 2932.99.9000, 3.7%
 atoms.                                       HTSUS 2932.29.5050, 3.7%
                                              HTSUS 2932.29.4500, 1.8/kg+11.4%
                                              HTSUS 2932.19.5000, 3.7%
                                              HTSUS 2932.19.1000, 6.5%
Carboxylic acids............................  HTSUS 2918.30.9000, 3.7%
Unsaturated acyclic monocarboxylic acids,     HTSUS 2916.19.5000, 3.7%
 cyclic monocarboxylic acids.
Ketones and quinones whether or not with      HTSUS 2914.40.0000, 4.8%
 other oxygen functions, and their            HTSUS 2914.29.5000, 4.8%
 halogenated, sulfonated, nitrated, or        HTSUS 2914.23.0000, 5.5%
 nitrosated derivatives.
Aldehydes, whether or not with oxygen         HTSUS 2913.30.2000, 4.8%
 function; cyclic polymers of aldehydes;
 paraformaldehyde.
Epoxides, epoxy alcohols, expoxyphenols and   HTSUS 2910.90.5000, 4.8%
 epoxy ethers.
Cyclic alcohols.............................  HTSUS 2906.19.5000, 5.5%
Acyclic alcohols............................  HTSUS 2905.29.9000, 3.7%
                                              HTSUS 2905.22.5050, 4.8%
                                              HTSUS 2905.22.5010, 4.8%
 

    The application indicates that the company may also import under 
FTZ procedures a wide variety of other flavor and fragrance materials 
from the following general categories: sugars, gelatins, chlorides, 
fruit and vegetable extracts and oils, as well as various other natural 
and synthetic ingredients and products used in production, packaging 
and distribution of flavor and fragrance products (duty rates range 0-
19.6%).
    Zone procedures would exempt Firmenich from Customs duty payments 
on foreign materials used in production for export. On domestic 
shipments, the company would be able to defer Customs duty payments on 
foreign materials and choose the duty rate that applies to the finished 
products (duty free) instead of the rates otherwise applicable to the 
foreign materials (noted above). The company would also be exempt from 
duty payments on foreign merchandise that becomes scrap/waste. 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 appointed examiner to investigate the application and 
report to the Board.
    Public comment 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 
November 12, 1999. Rebuttal comments in response to material submitted 
during the foregoing period may be submitted during the subsequent 15-
day period to November 29, 1999.
    A copy of the application and accompanying exhibits will be 
available for public inspection at each of the following locations:

U.S. Department of Commerce Export Assistance Center, 6 World Trade 
Center, Rm. 635, New York, NY 10048
Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, Room 
3716, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th & Pennsylvania Avenue NW, 
Washington, DC 20230


[[Page 49442]]


    Dated: September 2, 1999.
Dennis Puccinelli,
Acting Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-23772 Filed 9-10-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P