[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 42 (Friday, March 5, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12907-12908]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-04575]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

[B-14-2021]


Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) 24--Pittston, Pennsylvania; Notification 
of Proposed Production Activity; Merck & Co., Inc. (Pharmaceutical 
Products); Riverside, Pennsylvania

    Merck & Co., Inc. (Merck), submitted a notification of proposed 
production activity to the FTZ Board for its facility in Riverside, 
Pennsylvania. The notification conforming to the requirements of the 
regulations of the FTZ Board (15 CFR 400.22) was received on February 
24, 2021.
    Merck already has authority to produce pharmaceutical products 
within Subzone 24B. The current request would add finished products and 
foreign status materials to the scope of authority. Pursuant to 15 CFR 
400.14(b), additional FTZ authority would be limited to the specific 
foreign-status materials and specific finished products described in 
the submitted notification (as described below) and subsequently 
authorized by the FTZ Board.
    Production under FTZ procedures could exempt Merck from customs 
duty payments on the foreign-status materials used in export 
production. On its domestic sales, for the foreign-status materials/
components noted below and in the existing scope of authority, Merck 
would be able to choose the duty rates during customs entry procedures 
that apply to PRIMAXIN intermediate (imipenem and cilastatin bulk) and 
INVANZ intermediate (ertapenem sodium) (duty-free). Merck would be able 
to avoid duty on foreign-status components which become scrap/waste. 
Customs duties also could possibly be deferred or reduced on foreign-
status production equipment.
    The materials sourced from abroad include: imipenem input; 
cilastatin input; ertapenem sodium input; BIS (2,

[[Page 12908]]

4-Dichlorophenyl) Chlorophosphate; Bi-Cyclic ADC-13 Ketone; Enol 
Phosphate; and, D-Carboxamide (duty rate ranges from duty-free to 
6.5%). The request indicates that the materials are subject to duties 
under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 (Section 301), depending on 
the country of origin. The applicable Section 301 decisions require 
subject merchandise to be admitted to FTZs in privileged foreign status 
(19 CFR 146.41).
    Public comment is invited from interested parties. Submissions 
shall be addressed to the Board's Executive Secretary and sent to: 
[email protected]. The closing period for their receipt is April 14, 2021.
    A copy of the notification will be available for public inspection 
in the ``Reading Room'' section of the Board's website, which is 
accessible via www.trade.gov/ftz.
    For further information, contact Christopher Wedderburn at 
[email protected].

    Dated: March 2, 2021.
Andrew McGilvray,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-04575 Filed 3-4-21; 8:45 am]
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