[Federal Register: June 16, 1994]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board
[Docket 23-94]


Foreign-Trade Zone 172--Oneida County, NY; Application for
Subzone Oneida Ltd. (Tableware) Sherrill and Oneida, NY

    An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board
(the Board) by the County of Oneida, New York, grantee of FTZ 172,
requesting special-purpose subzone status for the manufacturing
facilities of Oneida Ltd. in Sherrill and Oneida, New York. 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 June 7, 1994.
    The Oneida facilities involve three sites in Sherrill (Oneida
County) and Oneida (Madison County), New York: Site 1 (116 acres)--Main
Plant, East Seneca Street and Route 5, Sherrill; Site 2 (63 acres)--
Knife Plant, Kenwood Avenue, Sherrill; and Site 3 (0.5 acres)--
warehouse facility (D.J. Warehouse), Wilson Street, Oneida. The
facilities (2500 employees) are used to manufacture a full line of
stainless steel, silverplated and sterling silver flatware (knives,
forks and spoons) as well as certain hollowware (tea services, bowls,
trays, cups). The facilities are also used to warehouse/package/
distribute porcelain, chinaware, crystal and miscellaneous giftware.
Certain finished and semi-finished items, accounting for up to 15
percent of sales, are sourced from abroad to fill out product lines.
(Stainless steel mill products are sourced domestically.) Oneida is
requesting to use zone procedures only for silverplating of foreign-
sourced stainless steel tableware and for warehousing and packaging of
finished products.
    Zone procedures would exempt Oneida from Customs duty payments on
foreign items that are exported. On domestic sales, the company would
be able to choose the duty rates that apply to the finished
silverplated products (4.5 to 6.0%). The duty rates on foreign-sourced
stainless steel tableware items used in the silverplating activity
range from 6 to 17 percent. The application indicates that the savings
from zone procedures would help improve the plant's international
competitiveness.
    In accordance with the Board's regulations, 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
August 15, 1994. Rebuttal comments in response to material submitted
during the foregoing period may be submitted during the subsequent 15-
day period (to Tuesday, August 30, 1994).
    A copy of the application and accompanying exhibits will be
available for public inspection at each of the following locations:

Office of the Port Director, U.S. Customs Service, Syracuse Hancock
International Airport, Air Cargo Building, P.O. Box 7256, Syracuse, NY
13261
Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, U.S.
Department of Commerce, room 3716, 14th & Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20230

    Dated: June 7, 1994.
John J. Da Ponte, Jr.,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 94-14622 Filed 6-15-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-25-P