[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 75 (Monday, April 19, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20854-20855]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-8805]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

[Docket 15-2004]


Foreign-Trade Zone 14--Little Rock, Arkansas; Application for 
Subzone; L'Oreal USA, Inc.; (Cosmetic and Beauty Products); Little 
Rock, Arkansas

    An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board 
(the Board) by the Arkansas Department of Economic Development, grantee 
of FTZ 14, requesting special-purpose subzone status for the 
manufacturing and warehousing facilities of L'Oreal USA, Inc. (L'Oreal 
USA), located in Little Rock. 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 April 12, 2004.
    The proposed L'Oreal USA subzone has two sites with 921 employees 
in Pulaski County, Arkansas: Site 1 (100 acres)--located at 11500 Ray 
Wilson Drive, North Little Rock; and Site 2 (10.4 acres)--located at 
6001 Lindsey Road, Little Rock.
    The L'Oreal USA facilities will be used for the manufacturing and 
warehousing of cosmetic and beauty products including hair care, 
cosmetic, treatment products and fragrance products (HTS 3302.90, 
3303.00, 3304.10, 3304.20, 3304.30, 3304.91, 3304.99, 3305.10, 3305.20, 
3305.30, 3305.90, 3307.10, 3307.20, 3307.30, 3401.11, 3401.20 and 
3401.30). Components and materials sourced from abroad represent some 
27% of all parts consumed in manufacturing. The primary inverted tariff 
savings will come from the following components: plastic, glass, base 
metal and aluminum packaging components, pads for cosmetic application, 
carboxylic with additional O2 function, paraphenylenediamine, O2 
function amino compounds, quaternary ammonium salts, acyclic amide, 
fatty substances, animal or vegetable polyethers, polyether nonionic 
surfactant, mixtures of amino acids, chemical preparations, mixtures of

[[Page 20855]]

proteins and preservatives, polymers of vinyl esters, vinyl acetate 
polymers, polyamide, petroleum resins and thermosetting polymers (HTS 
2918.90, 2921.51, 2922.50, 2923.90, 2924.19, 3402.13, 3824.90, 3905.19, 
3908.10, 3911.90, 3923.10, 3923.30, 3923.50, 3923.90, 3926.90, 7010.90, 
7010.94, 7020.00, 7117.19, 7612.10, 7612.90 and 9616.20, duty rate 
ranges from 2.4 to 11%). The application also indicates that the 
company may import under FTZ procedures other materials used in the 
production of cosmetic and beauty products falling under the following 
HTS, as further described in the application: HTS 0408, 0409, 1108, 
1301, 1302, 1504, 1505, 1511, 1515, 1516, 1521, 1603, 1702.90.90, 2009, 
2106, 2507, 2520, 2525, 2526, 2710, 2712, 2811, 2815, 2817, 2818, 2821, 
2823, 2827, 2835, 2836, 2901, 2904, 2906, 2907, 2909, 2914, 2915, 2916, 
2918, 2919, 2921, 2922, 2923, 2924, 2925, 2930, 2932, 2933, 2934, 2936, 
2938, 3301, 3302, 3304, 3402, 3404, 3501, 3504, 3507, 3806, 3808, 3823, 
3824, 3901, 3902, 3903, 3904, 3905, 3906, 3907, 3908, 3910, 3911, 3912, 
3913, 3923, 4701, 4819, 4821, 8214, 8424, 9616 (duty rate ranges from 
duty-free to 7.4%). In addition, the application indicates that they 
may import coloring matter, but that any products imported under 
Chapter 32 of the HTS would be admitted in privileged-foreign status.
    FTZ procedures would exempt L'Oreal USA from Customs duty payments 
on the foreign components used in export production. Some 5 percent of 
the plant's shipments are exported. On its domestic sales, L'Oreal USA 
would be able to choose the duty rates during Customs entry procedures 
that apply to cosmetic and beauty products (duty-free to 5.8%) for the 
foreign inputs noted above. The request indicates that the savings from 
FTZ 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 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 
June 18, 2004. Rebuttal comments in response to material submitted 
during the foregoing period may be submitted during the subsequent 15-
day period (to July 6, 2004).
    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 the first address listed above, 
and at the U.S. Department of Commerce Export Assistance Center, 425 
West Capitol Avenue, Suite 700, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201.

    Dated: April 12, 2004.
Dennis Puccinelli,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 04-8805 Filed 4-16-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P