[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 182 (Friday, September 19, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54887-54888]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-23965]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

[Docket 46-2003]


Foreign-Trade Zone 61--San Juan, PR, Application for Expansion of 
Scope of Manufacturing Authority, Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing 
International, Ltd.--Subzone 61J (Soft Drink and Juice Beverage 
Concentrates)

    An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board 
(the Board) by the Puerto Rico Exports Development Corporation, grantee 
of FTZ 61, pursuant to section 400.32(b)(2)

[[Page 54888]]

of the Board's regulations (15 CFR part 400), requesting authority on 
behalf of Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing International, Ltd. (PCMIL), 
operator of FTZ 61J, at the PCMIL soft drink and juice beverage 
concentrate manufacturing plant in Cidra, Puerto Rico, requesting an 
expansion of the scope of manufacturing authority to include additional 
finished products and manufacturing capacity under FTZ procedures. It 
was formally filed on September 12, 2003.
    PCMIL operates a facility (171 employees) within the Cidra 
Industrial Park, in Cidra, Puerto Rico, which is used to produce 
flavoring concentrates for soft drink beverages under FTZ procedures 
for the U.S. market and export (Board Order 926, 62 FR 55574, 10-27-
97).
    The applicant currently requests that the scope of manufacturing 
authority be expanded to include the manufacture of fruit juice 
beverage concentrate products marketed under the Dole, Tropicana 
Season's Best, and Tropicana Twister brands. The application also 
requests that the scope of authority for sourcing foreign ingredients 
used in production be extended to include: Banana puree, and fruit 
juice concentrates (passion, white grape, orange, pear, concord grape, 
red grape, grapefruit, pineapple) (2003 duty rate range: Free-10%, 
0.5[cent]-7.9[cent]/liter). Production authority under FTZ procedures 
would be increased to approximately 5,000 40-foot shipping containers 
annually.
    FTZ procedures would continue to exempt PCMIL from Customs duty 
payments on the foreign ingredients used in production for export. On 
its domestic sales and exports to NAFTA countries, the company can 
choose the lower duty rates that apply to finished beverage 
concentrates (free, 6.4%) for the foreign ingredients noted above. In 
accordance with Sec.  400.32(b)(2) of the Board's regulations, a member 
of the FTZ Staff has been designated examiner to investigate the 
application.
    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 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 Street, NW., Washington, DC 20005; or,
    2. Submissions via the U.S. Postal Service: Foreign-Trade Zones 
Board, U.S. Department of Commerce, FCB-4100W, 1401 Constitution Ave., 
NW., Washington, DC 20230.
    The closing period for their receipt is November 3, 2003. Rebuttal 
comments in response to material submitted during the foregoing period 
may be submitted during the subsequent 15-day period to November 18, 
2003.
    A copy of the application will be available for public inspection 
at the Office of the Foreign-Trade Zones Board's Executive Secretary at 
address No. 1 listed above.

    Dated: September 12, 2003.
Dennis Puccinelli,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 03-23965 Filed 9-18-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-M