NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Foreign-Trade Zones Board
(Docket 22-92)
Foreign-Trade Zone 75--Phoenix, AZ; Application for Subzone Wal-Mart
Stores,
Inc., Distribution and Processing Facility Buckeye, AZ
Wednesday, July 15, 1992
An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board (the
Board) by the City of Phoenix, Arizona, grantee of FTZ 75, requesting
special-purpose subzone status for a new distribution and processing
facility of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Buckeye, Arizona, in the Phoenix port of
entry area. 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 1, 1992.
Wal-Mart is a nationwide discount merchandiser, headquartered in
Bentonville, Arkansas. The company employs 385,000 people and its total
sales exceeded $44 billion in 1991.
Wal-Mart is planning to construct a new distribution/processing facility
(145 acres, 2 mil. sq. ft.) at 23701 W. Southern Avenue, Buckeye, Arizona,
some 24 miles west of Phoenix. The facility will be used to store, test,
and distribute a wide range of consumer products, some of which are of
foreign origin. There will be processing activity for some products. The
application contains requests for authority to assemble stereo systems
(duty rate 3.7%) and camera kits (duty rate 3.0%) under zone procedures.
Items sourced from abroad for the stereo assembly operations include:
tuners, amplifiers, and turntables (duty rate range 4.4%-6.0%). Items
sourced abroad for the camera kit assembly operations include: Camera cases
(plastic, leather, textile, and other), lenses, and film (duty rate range
3.7%--20.0%).
Zone procedures would exempt Wal-Mart from Customs duty payments on the
foreign products that are reexported. It would be able to defer Customs
duty payments on domestic sales, and choose the finished product duty rates
on the above noted items processed at the facility. The application
indicates that zone savings would help improve the international
competitiveness of the distribution/processing facility.
In accordance with the Board's regulations (as revised, 56 FR 50790-50808,
10- 8-91), a member of the FTZ Staff has been designated examiner to
investigate the application and report 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 September 14, 1992.
Rebuttal comments in response to material submitted during the foregoing
period may be submitted during the subsequent 15-day period (to September
28, 1992).
A copy of the application and accompanying exhibits will be available for
public inspection at each of the following locations:
U.S. Department of Commerce District Office, Rm. 3412 Federal Building,
230 North 1st Avenue,
Phoenix, Arizona 85025
Office of the Executive Secretary,
Foreign-Trade Zones Board,
U.S. Department of Commerce, room 3716,
14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW.,
Washington, DC 20230.
Dated July 6, 1992.
John J. Da Ponte, Jr.,
Executive Secretary.
(FR Doc. 92-16657 Filed 7-14-92; 8:45 am)