[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 246 (Friday, December 21, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 75610]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-30848]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

[B-91-2012]


Foreign-Trade Zone 22--Chicago, IL, Notification of Proposed 
Production Activity, Abbott Laboratories, Inc., AbbVie, Inc. 
(Pharmaceutical Production), North Chicago, IL, Area

    Abbott Laboratories, Inc. (Abbott) and AbbVie, Inc. (AbbVie) 
submitted a notification for expanded production authority within 
Subzones 22F and 22S, at sites located in the North Chicago and Lake 
County, Illinois, area. The facilities are used for the production of a 
wide variety of pharmaceutical and diagnostic products, medical devices 
and equipment. The notification conforming to the requirements of the 
regulations of the Board (15 CFR 400.22) was received on December 14, 
2012.
    Subzone 22F was approved by the Board in 1992 (Board Order 611, 12/
14/1991, 57 FR 61045, 12/14/1992) and authority was later expanded in 
1999 and 2009 (Board Order 1051, 8/30/1999, 64 FR 48578, 9/7/1999 and 
Board Order 1654, 12/18/2009, 75 FR 340-341, 1/5/2010). A minor 
boundary modification under 15 CFR 400.38 of the Board's regulations 
was approved, effective August 1, 2012, transferring two sites from SZ 
22F at the Abbott facilities to AbbVie, now designated as Subzone 22S 
(S-66-2012).
    Abbott and Abbvie are now requesting authority to use production 
inputs sourced from abroad that include: Peptones and their 
derivatives; other protein substances and their derivatives; and 
heterocyclic compounds, aromatic compounds, sulfanomides, and catalysts 
used in discovery, research and development (duty rates range from 3.7% 
to 6.5%).
    Production under FTZ procedures could exempt Abbott/AbbVie from 
customs duty payments on the foreign status inputs used in export 
production for the additional activity proposed. On its domestic sales, 
for the foreign status inputs noted above, Abbott/AbbVie would be able 
to choose the duty rates during customs entry procedures that apply to 
the following additional pharmaceutical products that include active 
ingredients, placebo, and protein used in research and development: 
Placebo products intended for clinical trials; radioactive elements and 
isotopes and compounds other than those of subheadings 2844.10, 
2844.20, and 2844.30; alloys; dispersions (including cermets); ceramic 
products and mixtures containing these elements; isotopes or compounds; 
radioactive residues; elements, isotopes and compounds with cobalt-60 
radioactivity only; and other elements, isotopes and compounds: 
Americium-241, californium-252, curium-244, cesium-137, gadolinium-153, 
iridium-192, promethium-147, radium-266, selenium-75, or ytterbium-169; 
peptones and their derivatives; and other protein substances and their 
derivatives (duty free-6.4%). Customs duties also could possibly be 
deferred or reduced on foreign status production equipment.
    Public comment is invited from interested parties. Submissions 
shall be addressed to the Board's Executive Secretary at the address 
below. The closing period for their receipt is January 30, 2013.
    A copy of the notification will be available for public inspection 
at the Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, 
Room 21013, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20230-0002, and in the ``Reading Room'' section of the 
Board's Web site, which is accessible via www.trade.gov/ftz. For 
further information, contact Diane Finver at [email protected] 
(202) 482-1367.

    Dated: December 14, 2012.
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-30848 Filed 12-20-12; 8:45 am]
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