[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 33 (Thursday, February 17, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 9320]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-3641]


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 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

[Docket 10-2011]


Foreign-Trade Zone 274--Butte-Silver Bow, MT; Application for 
Manufacturing Authority REC Silicon (Polysilicon and Silane Gas) Butte, 
MT

    An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board 
(the Board) by the City and County of Butte-Silver Bow, grantee of FTZ 
274, requesting manufacturing authority on behalf of REC Silicon, 
located in Butte, Montana. 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 February 11, 2011.
    The REC Silicon facility (300 employees, 3,450 metric ton capacity) 
is located within Site 1 of FTZ 274. The facility is used for the 
manufacturing of polysilicon and silane gas for the photovoltaic 
industry using domestic and imported silicon metal (duty rate 5.3-
5.5%). Materials sourced from abroad represent 8% of the value of the 
finished polysilicon and 5% of the value of the finished silane gas. 
REC Silicon has indicated that they will not admit foreign status 
silicon metal subject to antidumping or countervailing duty orders into 
the facility and would accept a restriction on such admissions.
    FTZ procedures could exempt REC Silicon from customs duty payments 
on the foreign components used in export production. The company 
anticipates that some 95% of the plant's shipments will be exported. On 
its domestic sales, REC Silicon would be able to choose the duty rates 
during customs entry procedures that apply to polysilicon and silane 
gas (duty rate ranges from duty-free to 3.7%) for the imported silicon 
metal noted above. FTZ designation would further allow REC Silicon to 
realize logistical benefits through the use of weekly customs entry 
procedures. Customs duties also could possibly be deferred or reduced 
on foreign status production equipment. The request indicates that the 
savings from FTZ procedures would help improve the plant's 
international competitiveness.
    In accordance with the Board's regulations, Elizabeth Whiteman 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 address below. The closing period for their receipt is 
April 18, 2011. Rebuttal comments in response to material submitted 
during the foregoing period may be submitted during the subsequent 15-
day period to May 3, 2011.
    A copy of the application will be available for public inspection 
at the Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, 
Room 2111, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20230-0002, and in the ``Reading Room'' section of the 
Board's Web site, which is accessible via http://www.trade.gov/ftz.
    For further information, contact Elizabeth Whiteman at 
[email protected] or (202) 482-0473.

    Dated: February 11, 2011.
Andrew McGilvray,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-3641 Filed 2-16-11; 8:45 am]
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