[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 169 (Friday, August 31, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50326-50327]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-17331]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

Docket 41-2007


Foreign-Trade Zone 161 - Wichita, Kansas, Expansion of Subzone 
and Scope of Manufacturing Authority, Subzone 161A, Hospira, Inc. 
(Pharmaceutical Products), McPherson, Kansas

    An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ) 
Board (the Board) by the Board of County Commissioners of Sedgwick, 
Kansas, grantee of FTZ 161, requesting to expand the subzone and scope 
of manufacturing authority under zone procedures for Subzone 161A, at 
the Hospira, Inc. (Hospira) facility in McPherson, Kansas. It was 
formally filed on August 23, 2007.
    Subzone 161A was approved by the Board in 1994 at Hospira's plant 
(2 buildings totaling 265,000 square feet, 72[percnt] of which is 
devoted to manufacturing, on 160 acres) located at 1776 North 
Centennial Drive, in McPherson, Kansas. The facility (775 employees) is 
used to produce and/or distribute a wide range of pharmaceuticals 
(Board Order 699, 59 FR 38431, 7/20/94).
    Hospira is now requesting authority to expand the subzone to 
include an additional 301,310 square feet at the main building, located 
at 1776 North Centennial Drive in McPherson, Kansas, for the 
distribution and manufacture of pharmaceutical products. The applicant 
is also requesting authority to add rubber stoppers (HTSUS 
4016.99.1500) to its scope of manufacturing authority. Hospira's scope 
also includes a broad range of inputs and pharmaceutical final products 
that it may produce under FTZ procedures in the future. (New major 
activity in these inputs/products would require review by the FTZ 
Board.) The duty rates for these inputs and final products range from 
duty-free to 17.6 percent.
    Zone procedures would exempt Hospira from Customs duty payments on 
foreign materials used in production for export (some 10-15[percnt] of 
shipments). 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 (duty-free to 5[percnt])

[[Page 50327]]

instead of the rates otherwise applicable to the foreign input 
materials (duty-free to 17.6[percnt]). McPherson 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 below. The closing period for their receipt is 
October 30, 2007. Rebuttal comments in response to material submitted 
during the foregoing period may be submitted during the subsequent 15-
day period (to November 14, 2007.)
    A copy of the application and accompanying exhibits will be 
available for public inspection at each of the following locations: 
U.S. Department of Commerce Export Assistance Center, 150 N. Main 
Street, Suite 200, Wichita, Kansas 67202-1305 and the Office of the 
Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, Room 2111, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 
20230.
    For further information, contact Kathleen Boyce at 202-482-1346 or 
[email protected].

    Dated: August 23, 2007.
Andrew McGilvray,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7-17331 Filed 8-30;-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-S