[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 197 (Tuesday, October 13, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 61358]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-25981]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

[B-66-2015]


Proposed Foreign-Trade Zone--Hitchcock, Texas; Under Alternative 
Site Framework

    An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ) 
Board by the City of Hitchcock to establish a foreign-trade zone at a 
site in Hitchcock, Texas, adjacent to the Houston Customs and Border 
Protection (CBP) port of entry, under the alternative site framework 
(ASF) adopted by the FTZ Board (15 CFR Sec. 400.2(c)). The ASF is an 
option for grantees for the establishment or reorganization of zones 
and can permit significantly greater flexibility in the designation of 
new ``subzones'' or ``usage-driven'' FTZ sites for operators/users 
located within a grantee's ``service area'' in the context of the FTZ 
Board's standard 2,000-acre activation limit for a zone project. 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 docketed on October 6, 
2015. The applicant is authorized to make the proposal under Texas 
Statutes, Business and Commerce Code, Title 15, Chapter 681.
    The proposed zone would be the sixth zone for the Houston CBP port 
of entry. The existing zones are as follows: FTZ 36, Galveston 
(Grantee: Board of Trustees of the Galveston Wharves, Board Order 129, 
May 4, 1978); FTZ 84, Houston (Grantee: Port of Houston Authority, 
Board Order 214, July 15, 1983); FTZ 171, Liberty County (Grantee: 
Liberty County Economic Development Corp., Board Order 501, January 4, 
1991); FTZ 199, Texas City (Grantee: Texas City Foreign-Trade Zone 
Corp., Board Order 681, February 1, 1994); and, FTZ 265, Conroe 
(Grantee: City of Conroe, Board Order 1410, September 16, 2005).
    The applicant's proposed service area under the ASF would be the 
City of Hitchcock, Texas. If approved, the applicant would be able to 
serve sites throughout the service area based on companies' needs for 
FTZ designation. The proposed service area is within and adjacent to 
the Houston CBP port of entry.
    The proposed zone would include one ``magnet'' site: Proposed Site 
1 (280.54 acres)--Blimp Base, 7529 Blimp Base Road, Hitchcock. The ASF 
allows for the possible exemption of one magnet site from the 
``sunset'' time limits that generally apply to sites under the ASF, and 
the applicant proposes that Site 1 be so exempted.
    The application states that there is a need for zone services in 
the Hitchcock area and that several firms have indicated an interest in 
using zone procedures. Specific production approvals are not being 
sought at this time. Such requests would be made to the FTZ Board on a 
case-by-case basis.
    In accordance with the FTZ Board's regulations, Camille Evans 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 FTZ Board.
    Public comment is invited from interested parties. Submissions 
shall be addressed to the FTZ Board's Executive Secretary at the 
address below. The closing period for their receipt is December 14, 
2015. Rebuttal comments in response to material submitted during the 
foregoing period may be submitted during the subsequent 15-day period 
to December 28, 2015.
    A copy of the application will be available for public inspection 
at the Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, 
Room 21013, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20230-0002, and in the ``Reading Room'' section of the 
FTZ Board's Web site, which is accessible via www.trade.gov/ftz. For 
further information, contact Camille Evans at [email protected] 
or (202) 482-2350.

    Dated: October 6, 2015.
Andrew McGilvray,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-25981 Filed 10-9-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P