[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 149 (Friday, August 3, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 43233]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-15173]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

Docket 28-2007


Foreign-Trade Zone 158 - Vicksburg/Jackson, MS, Request for 
Manufacturing Authority, Lane Furniture Industries, Inc., (Upholstered 
Furniture)

    An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board 
(the Board) by Greater Mississippi Foreign-Trade Zone, Inc., grantee of 
FTZ 158, pursuant to Section 400.28(a)(2) of the Board's regulations 
(15 CFR Part 400), requesting authority on behalf of Lane Furniture 
Industries, Inc. (Lane) (a subsidiary of Furniture Brands 
International, Inc.), to manufacture upholstered furniture and related 
parts under FTZ procedures within FTZ 158. It was formally filed on 
July 26, 2007.
    The Lane facilities (3,300 employees) are located in three sites 
within FTZ 158: Site 14 - at 3464 McCullough Boulevard within the 
Burlington Northern Industrial Park, Belden, Mississippi; Site 16 - at 
234 Industrial Park Road within the Turner Industrial Park, Saltillo, 
Mississippi; and, Site 17 - at 5380 Highway 145 South within the Tupelo 
Lee Industrial Park, Verona, Mississippi. The facilities are used to 
produce upholstered furniture (up to 1.3 million sofas, chairs, and 
recliners annually) and cut-and-sewn upholstery covers for the U.S. 
market and export. The application proposes that Lane utilize foreign-
origin ``micro-denier suede'' fabric to be cut and sewn into furniture 
upholstery covers under FTZ procedures. The finished upholstery covers 
(HTSUS 9401.90; duty free) would then be assembled into finished 
chairs, seats, sofas, and recliners manufactured by Lane at its 
Mississippi facilities.
    The proposed scope of authority under FTZ procedures would only 
involve duty savings on foreign-origin, micro-denier suede fabrics 
(classified under HTSUS Headings 5407, 5512, 5515, 5516, 5903, 5906, 
6001, 6005, 6006; duty rate range: 2.7-17.2[percnt]) finished with a 
caustic soda wash process, which the applicant indicates are not 
produced by U.S. mills. The application indicates that Lane does not 
seek FTZ benefits on any of the other foreign fabrics used in 
production at the facilities (i.e., full duties would be paid on all 
such fabrics). All other material inputs used in production would be 
domestic-status.
    FTZ procedures would exempt Lane from customs duty payments on the 
foreign micro-denier suede fabric used in export production. On micro-
denier suede fabric used in production for the U.S. market, the company 
could elect the finished upholstery cover (i.e., furniture part) duty 
rate (free) after the fabric has been cut, sewn, and formed into 
upholstery covers, at which time they are entered for consumption from 
the zone. Lane would also have the option to elect the finished 
furniture duty rate (free) for the subject fabric when the finished 
furniture is entered for domestic consumption. The application 
indicates that the savings from FTZ procedures will help improve the 
facilities' international competitiveness.
    Public comment is invited from interested parties. Submissions 
(original and 3 copies) shall be addressed to the Board's Executive 
Secretary at the following address: Office of the Executive Secretary, 
Room 2111, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW, 
Washington, DC 20230-0002. The closing period for receipt of comments 
is October 2, 2007. Comments in response to material submitted during 
the foregoing period may be submitted during the subsequent 15-day 
period to October 17, 2007.
    A copy of the application will be available for public inspection 
at each of the following locations: U.S. Department of Commerce Export 
Assistance Center, Suite 255, 175 East Capitol Street, Jackson, 
Mississippi 39201; and, at the Office of the Foreign-Trade Zones 
Board's Executive Secretary at the address listed above. For further 
information, contact Pierre Duy, examiner, at: [email protected], 
or (202) 482-1378.

    Dated: July 27, 2007.
Andrew McGilvray,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7-15173 Filed 8-2-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P