DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Foreign-Trade Zones Board
[Docket No. 15-82]
47 FR 35266
August 13, 1982
Foreign-Trade Zones 62, Brownsville, Texas; Application for Expansion
TEXT: Notice is hereby given that an application has been submitted to the
Foreign-Trade Zones Board (the Board) by the Brownsville Navigation District
(BND), a Texas public corporation and grantee of Foreign-Trade Zones 62
requesting authority to expand its zone project in the Port of Brownsville,
within the Brownsville Customs port of entry. 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 July 26, 1982. The applicant is authorized to make
this proposal under Senate Bill 1105, Texas Legislature, signed June 13,
1979.
On October 20, 1980, BND received authority from the Board to establish
a foreign-trade zone at the Port of Brownsville (Board Order 166, 45 FR
71638, 10/26/80). Zone operations commenced during September 1981. The
project covers 2000 acres at sites along the Brownsville Ship Channel and
at Brownsville International Airport. BND now requests zone status for an
additional 19,000 acres along the Brownsville Ship Channel within the
42,000 acre Brownsville Navigation District.
This step is being taken after a number of meetings with local Customs
officials concerning boundary modifications to extend zone procedures to
firms outside the presently approved area. The simplest way of providing
the flexibility desired by BND is to adopt the concept of having most of
the port district area that is potentially usable for zone activity
designated as approved zone space, with activation to occur subject to
final operational approval by Customs on non-manufacturing operations.
Approval of the Board would also be needed on specific manufacturing
proposals. The application refers to warehousing activity and a number of
potential operations involving manufacturing, some of which would be for
export only. It does not include sufficient details to permit an analysis
of specific manufacturing activity, indicating that future approval would
be sought on a case-by-case basis. Thus, the proposal at present seeks
approval from the Board for the concept outlined above, with further Board
action contemplated for specific manufacturing proposals as they arise.
In accordance with the Board's regulations, an examiners committee has
been appointed to investigate the application and report thereon to the
Board. The committee consists of John J. Da Ponte, Jr. (Chairman),
Director, Foreign-Trade Zones Staff, U.S. Department of Commerce,
Washington, D.C. 20230; Donald Gough, Director, Inspection and Control,
U.S. Customs Service, Region VI, 500 Dallas Street, Houston, Texas 77002;
and Colonel Alan L. Laubscher, District Galveston, P.O Box 1229, Galveston,
Texas 77553.
Comments concerning the proposed zone expansion are invited in writing
from interested persons and organizations. They should be addressed to the
Board's Executive Secretary at the address below and postmarked on or
before September 8, 1982.
A copy of the application is available for public inspection at each of
the following locations:
Administrative Offices,
Brownsville Navigation District,
Port of Brownsville,
Highways 48 and 511,
Brownsville, Texas 78520
Office of the Executive Secretary,
Foreign-Trade Zones Board,
U.S. Department of Commerce,
14th and Pennsylvania NW., Room 3721,
Washington, D.C. 20230.
Dated: August 9, 1982.
John J. Da Ponte, Jr.,
Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board.
[FR Doc. 82-22062 Filed 8-12-82; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-25-M