[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 231 (Thursday, November 30, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71296-71297]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-30565]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

[Docket 62-2000]


Foreign-Trade Zone 104A--Savannah Airport Commission; Expansion 
of Facilities and Manufacturing Authority--Subzone 104A, Merck & Co., 
Inc. Plant (Pharmaceuticals), Dougherty County, GA

    An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board 
(the Board) by the Savannah Airport Commission, grantee of FTZ 104, 
pursuant to Sec. 400.32(b)(1) of the Board's regulations (15 CFR part 
400), requesting on behalf of Merck & Co., Inc. (Merck), to add 
capacity and to expand the scope of manufacturing authority under zone 
procedures at Subzone 104A, at the Merck pharmaceutical plant in 
Dougherty County, Georgia. It was formally filed on November 17, 2000.
    Subzone 104A was approved by the Board in 1995 at a single site 
(800 acres, 283,910 sq. ft., 35 bldgs.) located at 3517 Radium Springs 
Road, Dougherty County, Georgia, 7 miles southeast of Albany and some 
180 miles southwest of Savannah. The facility (570 employees) is used 
to produce a range of human health products. Merck is now proposing to 
add 193 acres and 41 buildings and to expand existing buildings. The 
proposed subzone would then include 76 bldgs. consisting of 606,492 sq. 
ft. (a 114% increase) on 993 acres.
    The application also requests to expand the scope of authority for 
manufacturing activity conducted under FTZ procedures at Subzone 104A 
to include additional general categories of inputs that have recently 
been approved by the Board for other pharmaceutical plants. They 
include chemically pure sugars, empty capsules for pharmaceutical use, 
protein concentrates, natural magnesium phosphates and carbonates, 
gypsum, anhydrite and plasters, petroleum jelly, paraffin and waxes, 
sulfuric acid, other inorganic acids or compounds of nonmetals, 
ammonia, zinc oxide, titanium oxides, fluorides, chlorates, sulfates, 
salts of oxometallic acids, radioactive chemical elements, compounds of 
rare earth metals, acyclic hydrocarbons, derivatives of phenols or 
peroxides, acetals and hemiacetals, phosphoric esters and their salts, 
diazo-compounds, glands for therapeutic uses, wadding, gauze and 
bandages, pharmaceutical glaze, hair preparations, lubricating 
preparations, albumins, prepared glues and adhesives, catalytic 
preparations, diagnostic or laboratory reagents, prepared binders, 
acrylic polymers, self-adhesive plates and sheets, other articles of 
vulcanized rubber, plastic cases, cartons, boxes, printed books, 
brochures and similar printed matter, carboys, bottles, and flasks, 
stoppers, caps, and lids, aluminum foil, tin plates and sheets, taps, 
cocks and valves, and medical instruments and appliances.
    FTZ procedures would exempt Merck from Customs duty payments on the 
foreign components used in export activity. On its domestic sales, the 
company would be able to elect the duty rates that applies to finished 
products

[[Page 71297]]

(primarily duty-free for finished pharmaceuticals and up to 14.6% for 
intermediates) for the foreign materials noted above (duty rates 
ranging from duty-free to 14.5%). The application indicates that the 
expanded use of FTZ procedures will help improve Merck's international 
competitiveness.
    The application has requested review under Sec. 400.32(b)(1) of the 
FTZ Board regulations on the basis that the proposed activity is the 
same, in terms of products involved, to activity recently approved by 
the Board and similar in circumstances.
    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 January 2, 2001. Rebuttal comments in 
response to material submitted during the foregoing period may be 
submitted during the subsequent 15-day period (to January 16, 2001).
    Copies of the applications will be available for public inspection 
at the following locations:

U.S. Department of Commerce, Export Assistance Center, 6001 Chatham 
Center Drive, Suite 100, Savannah, Georgia 31405.
Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, Room 
4008, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20230.

    Dated: November 17, 2000.
Dennis Puccinelli,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-30565 Filed 11-29-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P