[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 221 (Wednesday, November 18, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59523-59524]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-27681]


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 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

[Docket 49-2009]


Foreign-Trade Zone 119--Minneapolis, MN; Application for Subzone 
SICK, Inc. (Photo-Electronic Industrial Sensors); Bloomington, MN

    An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board 
(the Board) by the Greater Metropolitan Area Foreign Trade Zone 
Commission (Minneapolis, Minnesota), grantee of FTZ 119, requesting 
special-purpose subzone status for the photo-electronic industrial 
sensor manufacturing facility of SICK, Inc. (SICK), located in 
Bloomington, Minnesota. 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 November 10, 2009.
    The SICK facility (300 employees/55,207 sq.ft./3.2 acres) is 
located at 6900 West 110th Street, Bloomington (Hennepin County), 
Minnesota. The facility is used to manufacture and distribute photo-
electronic industrial automation sensors, safety systems, and automatic 
identification products (classified under HTSUS 8541.40) for the U.S. 
market and export. At full capacity the plant can manufacture up to 
50,000 units annually. Activity under FTZ procedures would include 
manufacturing, testing, inspection, and packaging. Components to be 
purchased from abroad (representing about 30% of the value of the 
finished sensors) would include plates/sheets/film/foil of 
polycarbonates, fasteners, parts of circuit breakers, and electrical 
conductors (duty rate range: 2.6-8.5%). The application indicates that 
SICK would also admit foreign-origin photo-electronic sensors and 
related components to the proposed subzone for domestic distribution 
and export.
    FTZ procedures could exempt SICK from customs duty payments on the 
foreign components used in export production. On domestic shipments, 
the company would be able to elect the duty rate that applies to 
finished photo-electronic sensors (free) for the foreign inputs noted 
above. Subzone status would further allow SICK to realize logistical 
benefits through the use of weekly customs entry procedures. Customs 
duties could possibly be deferred or reduced on foreign status 
production equipment. The application indicates that the savings from 
FTZ procedures would help improve the facility's international 
competitiveness.
    In accordance with the Board's regulations, Pierre Duy of the FTZ 
Staff is designated examiner to evaluate and analyze the facts and 
information presented in the application and case record and to report 
findings and recommendations 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 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 January 19, 2010. Rebuttal comments in response to material 
submitted during the foregoing period may be submitted during the 
subsequent 15-day period to February 1, 2010.
    A copy of the application will be available for public inspection 
at the Office of the Foreign-Trade Zones Board's Executive Secretary at 
the address listed above and in the ``Reading Room'' section of the 
Board's Web site, which is accessible via http://www.trade.gov/ftz.

[[Page 59524]]

    For Further Information Contact: Pierre Duy at [email protected] 
or (202) 482-1378.

    Dated: November 10, 2009.
Andrew McGilvray,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-27681 Filed 11-17-09; 8:45 am]
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