Foreign-Trade Zone 121Albany, NY Application for Subzone, BASF Corporation Plant (Chemical Pigments/Dyes) Rensselaer, NY

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

[Docket 11-94]

Foreign-Trade Zone 121--Albany, NY Application for Subzone, BASF

Corporation Plant (Chemical Pigments/Dyes) Rensselaer, NY

An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board

(the Board) by the Capital District Regional Planning Commission,

grantee of FTZ 121, requesting special-purpose subzone status for the

chemical pigment/dye manufacturing facility of BASF Corporation located

in Rensselaer, 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 March 11, 1994.

The BASF Rensselaer plant (3.84 mil.sq.ft/88 acres) is located at

36 Riverside Avenue, Rensselaer (Rensselaer County), New York, one mile

east of the city of Albany across the Hudson River. The plant (440

employees) is used to produce certain chemical dyes and pigments, such

as powdered and liquid dyestuffs, uvinuls, sicotans, and other pigments

for the plastics and coatings industries (duty rates--free to 20%, some

currently under duty suspension). Approximately 40 to 60 percent of

material inputs are sourced from abroad, including: Rosa chloride CF/

BRF, diaminoimid, uvinul, dimethylaminobenaldehyde, inorganic acids,

chlorides, hydroxides, sulfites, acyclic hydrocarbons, acyclic acids,

phenols, benzaldehyde, aldehyde-function compounds, ketones, quinones,

oxalic/carbolic acids, polyamines, aminos, sulfurs, heterocyclic

compounds, colorants, organic active agents, lubricating preparations,

carbon finishing and antioxidizing agents, acrylic polymers, urea/

thiourea resins (duty rates--free to 20%, some currently under duty

suspension).

Zone procedures would exempt BASF from Customs duty payments on the

foreign materials used in export production. On domestic sales, the

company is seeking to eliminate duty payments on foreign materials

which under Customs procedures would be subject to accountable loss in

the manufacturing process. Also, the plant would pay duties on a

deferred basis. The application indicates that the savings from zone

procedures would help improve the facility's international

competitiveness.

In accordance with the Board's regulations (as revised, 56 FR

50790-50808, 10-8-91), a member of the FTZ Staff has been appointed

examiner to investigate the application and report to the Board.

Public comment on the application is invited from interested

parties. Submissions (original and three copies) shall be addressed to

the Board's Executive Secretary at the address below. The closing

period for their receipt is May 23, 1994. Rebuttal comments in response

to material submitted during the foregoing period may be submitted

during the subsequent 15-day period June 6, 1994.

A copy of the application and the accompanying exhibits will be

available for public inspection at each of the following locations:

Office of the Port Director, U.S. Customs Service, James T. Foley,

Courthouse Bldg., Rm. 216, 445 Broadway Albany, NY 12207.

Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, U.S.

Department of Commerce, Room 3716, 14th Street & Constitution Avenue,

NW., Washington, DC 20230.

Dated: March 14, 1994.

John J. Da Ponte, Jr.,

Executive Secretary.

[FR Doc. 94-6847 Filed 3-22-94; 8:45 am]

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