[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 154 (Friday, August 9, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51820-51821]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-20236]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

[Docket 30-2002]


Foreign-Trade Zone 61--San Juan, PR; Expansion of Facilities and 
Manufacturing Authority--Subzone 61F; IPR Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Plant 
(Pharmaceuticals), Guayama, PR

    An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board 
(the Board) by IPR Pharmaceuticals, Inc., requesting to add capacity 
and to expand the scope of manufacturing authority under zone 
procedures within Subzone 61F, at the IPR plant in Guayama, Puerto 
Rico. It was formally filed on August 1, 2002.
    Subzone 61F was approved by the Board in 1995 at a single site 
located at State Road No. PR 53, km. 84, Guayama, Puerto Rico, with 
authority granted for the manufacture of intermediate and bulk 
pharmaceuticals (Board Order 787, 60 FR 63499, 12/11/95).
    Subzone 61F (800 employees) currently consists of 7 buildings 
totaling 95,748 square feet on 49 acres. IPR is now proposing to add 8 
buildings of 88,126 sq. ft. and 101 acres. The proposed Subzone 61F 
would then consist of 15 buildings of 183,874 sq. ft. on 150 acres.
    The application also requests to expand the scope of authority for 
manufacturing activity conducted under FTZ procedures 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

[[Page 51821]]

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, colloidal precious metals, 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 and 
ethylene 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. Materials 
sourced from abroad represent some 50%-65% of finished product value.
    Zone procedures would exempt IPR from Customs duty payments on 
foreign materials used in production for export. Some 30-40 percent of 
the plant's shipments are exported. On domestic shipments, the company 
would be able to defer Customs duty payments on foreign materials, and 
to choose the duty rate that applies to finished products (duty free-
9.2%) instead of the rates otherwise applicable to the foreign input 
materials (duty free-20%)(noted above). The application indicates that 
the savings from zone procedures would help improve IPR'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 is invited from interested parties. Submissions 
(original and 3 copies) shall be addressed to the Board's Executive 
Secretary at one of the following addresses:
    1. Submissions Via Express/Package Delivery Services: Foreign-
Trade-Zones Board, U.S. Department of Commerce, Franklin Court 
Building--Suite 4100W, 1099 14th St. NW., Washington, DC 20005; or
    2. Submissions Via the U.S. Postal Service: Foreign-Trade-Zones 
Board, U.S. Department of Commerce, FCB--Suite 4100W, 1401 Constitution 
Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20230.
    The closing period for their receipt is September 9, 2002. Rebuttal 
comments in response to material submitted during the foregoing period 
may be submitted during the subsequent 15-day period (to October 23, 
2002.)
    A copy of the application and accompanying exhibits will be 
available for public inspection at the Office of the Foreign-Trade 
Zones Board's Executive Secretary at address Number 1 listed above, and 
at the U.S. Department of Commerce Export Assistance Center, 525 F.D. 
Roosevelt Ave., Suite 905, San Juan, PR 00918.

    Dated: August 2, 2002.
Dennis Puccinelli,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-20236 Filed 8-8-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P