Foreign-Trade Zone 26, Shenandoah, Georgia (Atlantic Port of Entry) Application
for Subzone at General Motors Auto Assembly Plants in Atlanta and Doraville, Georgia
TEXT: Notice is hereby given that an application has been submitted to the
Foreign-Trade Zones Board (the Board) by the Georgia Foreign Trade Zone, Inc.
(GFTZ), grantee of Foreign-Trade Zone 26, requesting special-purpose subzone
status for General Motors Corporation's (GM) auto assembly plants in Atlanta and
Doraville, Georgia, within the Atlanta 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 March 18, 1983. The applicant is authorized to make this proposal
under Chapter 10, Title 52 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.
On January 17, 1977, the Board authorized GFTZ to establish a foreign-trade zone
project in the Atlanta area (Board Order 115, 42 FR 4186, 1/24/77). The project
covers 33 acres at Shenandoah in Coweta County, some 23 miles south of Atlanta's
international airport. Over $14 million in merchandise was received by the zone in
FY 1982.
The subzone would involve GM's Atlanta area auto assembly plants in Atlanta
(Lakewood) and Doraville. The Lakewood plant covers 85 acres at Sawtell and
McDonough Boulevard in Atlanta. The Doraville plant covers 139 acres at 3900
Motors Industrial Way, Doraville.
The Lakewood plant has an annual capacity for producing over 100,000
Chevette-model automobiles, employing over 1800 workers. Although it uses
mostly domestic material, certain components are sourced abroad, such as
automatic transmissions, optional diesel engines, solenoids, wiring harnesses and
seat covers, which account for less than 5 percent of material value.
The Doraville plant produces over 200,000 Century and Cutlass-model
automobiles annually and employs 5500 workers. Foreign content on these vehicles
is less than 2 percent and includes optional engines, brake hoses and radios.
Exports account for 7.5 percent of production at the Doraville plant and the
company expects to resume exporting from the Lakewood plant when market
conditions improve. Zone procedures will exempt GM from paying duties on
foreign components used in these exports. On its domestic sales, the company will
be able to defer duty and to take advantage of the same duty rate that is available
to importers of finished automobiles. The average duty rate on the foreign parts
GM uses at the Lakewood and Doraville plants is about 4.4 and 3.8 percent
respectively, whereas the rate for automobiles is 2.8 percent. The reduction of
Customs costs is part of GM's overall program to modernize and reduce costs at its
U.S. assembly plants, making them more competitive with auto assembly facilities
offshore.
In accordance with the Board's regulations, an examiners committee has been
appointed to investigate the application and report to the Board. The committee
consists of: Dennis Puccinelli (Chairman, Foreign-Trade Zones Staff, U.S.
Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C. 20230; Charles W. Winwood,
Director (Inspection and Control), U.S. Customs Service, Southeast Region, 99 S.E.
5th Street, Miami, Florida 33131; and Colonel Charles E. Dominy, District
Engineer, U.S. Army Engineer District Savannah, P.O. Box 889, Savannah,
Georgia 31402.
Comments concerning the proposed subzone 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 April 28, 1983.
A copy of the application is available for public inspection at each of the following
locations:
U.S. Department of Commerce District Office,
1365 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 600,
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
Office of the Executive Secretary,
Foreign-Trade Zones Board,
U.S. Department of Commerce,
14th and Pennslvania, NW., Room 1872,
Washington, D.C. 20230.
Dated: March 23, 1983.
John J. Da Ponte, Jr.,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 83-7987 Filed 3-28-83; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-25-M