Foreign-Trade Zone 204Blountville, TN, Application for Subzone Status, Hanover Direct, Inc. (Distribution of Consumer Goods) Roanoke, VA

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

[Docket 28-98]

Foreign-Trade Zone 204--Blountville, TN, Application for Subzone

Status, Hanover Direct, Inc. (Distribution of Consumer Goods) Roanoke,

VA

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

(the Board) by the Tri-Cities Airport Commission, grantee of FTZ 204,

requesting special-purpose subzone status for the consumer goods

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distribution facility of Hanover Direct, Inc., located in Roanoke,

Virginia. 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

May 26, 1998.

The Roanoke facility (545,000 sq. ft. on 52 acres) is located at

5022 Hollins Road, Roanoke, VA. The facility (300 employees) is used

for storage, inspection, packaging and distribution of a wide variety

of consumer products such as home furnishings, housewares, home

improvement accessories, garden products, safety products, men's and

women's apparel and accessories, golf equipment and accessories,

athletic wear, and jewelry and gifts. The facility supports Hanover's

mail order business. About 20 percent of the products are sourced from

abroad and over five percent are exported.

Zone procedures would exempt Hanover from Customs duty payments on

foreign products that are reexported. On its domestic sales, the

company would be able to defer duty payments until merchandise is

shipped from the plant. 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 appointed 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

July 31, 1998. Rebuttal comments in response to material submitted

during the foregoing period may be submitted during the subsequent 15-

day period to August 17, 1998.

A copy of the application and accompanying exhibits will be

available for public inspection at each of the following locations:

Tri-Cities Regional Airport, P.O. Box 1058, Air Cargo Building,

Blountville, Tennessee 37617.

Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, Room

3716, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th & Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,

Washington, D.C. 20230.

Dated: May 26, 1998.

Dennis Puccinelli,

Acting Executive Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98-14445 Filed 5-29-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P