[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 6, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 30408]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-14136]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

[Docket 21-2001]


Foreign-Trade Zone 177--Evansville, IN; Application for Subzone 
Status; Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana, Inc., Plant (Motor 
Vehicles), Princeton, IN

    An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board 
(the Board) by the Indiana Port Commission, grantee of FTZ 177, 
requesting special-purpose subzone status for the motor vehicle 
manufacturing plant of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana, Inc. 
(TMMI)(a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, Inc.), 
located in Princeton, Indiana. 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 25, 2001.
    The TMMI plant (1,160 acres/1.66 million sq.ft.) is located at 4000 
Tulip Tree Drive, Princeton (Gibson County), Indiana, some 25 miles 
north of Evansville. The facility is used to produce light-duty 
passenger vehicles (pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles, minivans) 
for export and the domestic market. At full capacity, the facility 
(2,500 employees) will produce up to approximately 360,000 vehicles 
annually. Components purchased from abroad (approximately 43% of 
material value) include: engines and parts of engines, connecting rods, 
cylinder heads, brackets, sensors, valves, engine management systems, 
body parts, fasteners, exhaust systems, catalytic converters, 
speedometers and parts, parts of suspensions, hub units, CV joints, 
parts of steering systems, brake hoses and cables, airbags, half 
shafts, transmissions and parts of transmissions, transfer cases, 
differentials, bearings and bearing housings, flywheels/pulleys, wiring 
harnesses, transformers, lighting equipment, mirrors, starters, 
gaskets, belts, locks, rubber vibration control parts, global 
positioning systems, capacitors, thermometers, plugs, filters, 
windshield wipers, bumpers, tubing, air-conditioner components, flow 
meters, springs, fans/blowers, lug nuts, rubber hoses, CD/radios/audio 
systems, horns, relays, switches, ignition wires, and electrical 
apparatus (duty rate range: free--5.3%). The application indicates that 
TMMI's domestic sourcing will increase in the future.
    FTZ procedures would exempt TMMI from Customs duty payments on the 
foreign components used in export production (1% of shipments). On its 
domestic sales and exports to NAFTA countries, TMMI would be able to 
choose the duty rate that applies to finished passenger vehicles (2.5%) 
for the foreign inputs noted above that have higher rates. Foreign 
status and certain domestic status parts and materials would be exempt 
from local inventory taxes. Customs duties would be deferred and 
possibly reduced on foreign status production equipment. 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 August 6, 2001. Rebuttal comments in 
response to material submitted during the foregoing period may be 
submitted during the subsequent 15-day period August 20, 2001.
    A copy of the application and the accompanying exhibits will be 
available for public inspection at each of the following locations:

Office of the Port Director, U.S. Customs Service, Room 238, 101 NW 
Martin Luther King Blvd., Evansville, IN 47708
Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, Room 4008, 14th Street & Constitution Avenue, 
NW, Washington, DC 20230-0002

    Dated: May 25, 2001.
Dennis Puccinelli,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-14136 Filed 6-5-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P