[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 146 (Monday, July 31, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 43107]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-12228]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

[Docket 31-2006]


Foreign-Trade Zone 208 - New London, Connecticut, Expansion of 
Subzone and Manufacturing Authority-Subzone 208A, Pfizer Inc 
(Pharmaceutical Products), Groton, Connecticut

    An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board 
(the Board) by the New London Foreign Trade Zone Commission, grantee of 
FTZ 208, requesting to expand the subzone and scope of manufacturing 
authority under zone procedures for Subzone 208A, at the Pfizer Inc 
(Pfizer) facility in Groton, Connecticut. It was formally filed on July 
20, 2006.
    Subzone 208A was approved by the Board in 2005 at Pfizer's plant 
(61 bldgs. on 57 acres/723,362 sq. ft., 195, 642 sq. ft. of which is 
devoted to manufacturing) located at 445 Eastern Point Road, Groton, 
Connecticut. The facility (400 employees) is used to produce and/or 
distribute a wide range of pharmaceuticals, with specific authority 
granted for the manufacture of a single product under zone procedures 
(Board Order 1391, 5/9/05).
    Pfizer is now requesting authority to expand the subzone to include 
2 additional parcels (31 bldgs. on 112 acres/3,480,165 sq. ft., 
approximately one-third of which is devoted to manufacturing) located 
at 38 Eastern Road in Groton, adjacent to the current site, for the 
manufacture of pharmaceutical reference standards (HTSUS 3822.00, duty-
free). Reference standards not qualifying for entry under HTSUS 3822.00 
could qualify to be entered under the prototype provision of HTSUS 
9817.85 (duty-free). Materials sourced from abroad account for 
approximately 20 percent of all materials used in production. The 
materials sourced from abroad primarily consist of organic chemicals 
but, due to the unique, wide-ranging nature of the reference standards, 
they may also include: animal by-products; corn starch; gums, resins 
and other vegetable saps and extracts; animal and vegetable fats, oils 
and waxes; lactose and lactose syrup; miscellaneous edible 
preparations; ethyl alcohol; salts, magnesium carbonate and talc; 
mineral oils and products; inorganic chemicals and compounds of 
precious metals; pharmaceutical products; tannins, pigments and acid 
dyes; essential oils; sulfonates, surface active agents, lubricating 
preparations and waxes; fish glue, gelatin, peptones, dextrins and 
enzymes; miscellaneous chemical products; plastics; rubber and rubber 
articles; paper and paperboard; printed books; cotton wadding; glass 
products; aluminum foil; base metals; optical, medical and surgical 
instruments; miscellaneous manufactured articles (gelatin, wax and 
vegetable materials); and chemicals (chapter 99). FTZ savings will 
result initially from imported materials used in the manufacture of 
reference standards subject to duty rates from duty-free to 7.5 
percent.
    The application also requests authority to include a broad range of 
inputs (listed above) for other finished pharmaceutical products that 
Pfizer may produce under FTZ procedures in the future. (New major 
activity involving these inputs/products would require review by the 
FTZ Board.) The duty rates for these inputs and final products range 
from duty-free to 10 percent.
    Zone procedures would exempt Pfizer from Customs duty payments on 
foreign materials used in production for export. 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 the finished 
products instead of the rates otherwise applicable to the foreign input 
materials. Pfizer also expects to realize additional savings through 
the use of weekly entry procedures. The application indicates that the 
savings from zone procedures 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 is invited from interested parties. Submissions 
(original and 3 copies) shall be addressed to the Board's Executive 
Secretary at the address listed below. The closing period for their 
receipt is September 29, 2006. Rebuttal comments in response to 
material submitted during the forgoing period may be submitted during 
the subsequent 15-day period (to October 14, 2006).
    A copy of the application and accompanying exhibits will be 
available for public inspection at each of the following locations: the 
City of New London's Office of Development and Planning, 111 Union 
Street, New London, CT 06320; and, Office of the Executive Secretary, 
Foreign-Trade Zones Board, Room 1115, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 
Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.

    Dated: July 20, 2006.
Andrew McGilvray,
Acting Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-12228 Filed 7-28-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-S