DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Foreign-Trade Zones Board
[Docket No. 21-84]
49 FR 20747
May 16, 1984
Proposed Foreign-Trade Zones; Port of Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Port of
Orange in Jefferson and Orange Counties, Texas; Application and Public
Hearing
TEXT: An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board
(the Board) by the Foreign Trade Zone of Southeast Texas, Inc., requesting
authority to establish general-purpose foreign-trade zones at three ports
of entry on the southeast Texas Gulf Coast. One is at the Port of Beaumont
in Jefferson and Orange Counties within the Beaumont Customs port of entry;
the second is at the Port of Port Arthur in Jefferson County, within the
Port Arthur Customs port of entry; and, the third is at the Port of Orange
in Orange County, Texas, within the Orange Customs port of entry. The
applicant is a Texas non-profit corporation made up of officials from the
three port authorities involved. 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 7, 1984. The applicant is authorized to make this
proposal under Senate Bill 1016, 67th Legislature, Regular Session, 1981,
signed on June 12, 1981.
The proposed foreign-trade zone for the Port of Beaumont will involve
219 acres on six sites in Orange and Jefferson Counties. Four of the sites
are owned by the Port of Beaumont Navigation District and are located in
or near the port area. Zone-related public warehousing services at the
port will be handled by Kilpatrick's Bonded Warehouses, Beau-Tex Cartage,
and Roy L. Brittain. The fifth site is at the Jefferson County Airport on
county property. The sixth site is for the Wilson Warehouse Company
facility on Port Arthur Road. The Port of Beaumont will administer all
sites except the one at the airport which will be managed by the Jefferson
County Airport Manager.
The proposed zone for Port Arthur covers 1085 acres on three sites in
the City of Port Arthur, Jefferson County. Site 1 is owned and operated
by the Port of Port Arthur Navigation District. Site 2 is an undeveloped
parcel south of Highway 365, owned by Hayes, Inc. Site 3 is on South
Gulfway Drive west of the turning basin of Taylor's Bayou, and has a
vacant industrial building. This zone project will be administered by the
Port of Port Arthur Navigation District.
The proposed zone for the Port of Orange will cover 45 acres on two
sites within the Port of Orange in the City of Orange and Orange County.
One is at the Childers Road Terminal and the other is at the Alabama
Street Terminal, the Port's primary dock and warehouse area. Public
warehousing services will be provided by Sabine Warehouse. The Port of
Orange Navigation District will administer this zone project.
The application contains evidence of the need for zone services in the
Beaumont-Port Arthur-Orange area. A number of firms have indicated an
interest in using zone procedures for the warehousing, distribution and
repackaging of forestry products, oil field equipment, chemicals, plastics,
rubber, pharmaceuticals, farm implements, fabricated metal products, hydro
drills, heat exchangers, wire rod, welding supplies, liner board,
electronic products, coffee and spices. Specific manufacturing approvals
are not being sought at this time. Such requests would be made to the
Board on a case-by-case basis.
In accordance with the Board's regulations, an examiners committee has
been appointed to investigate the application and report to the Board.
The committee consists of: John J. Da Ponte, Jr. (Chairman), Director,
Foreign-Trade Zones Staff, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C.
20230; Donald Gough, Deputy Assistant Regional Commissioner, U.S. Customs
Service, Southwest Region, Suite 500, 5850 San Felipe St., Houston, TX
77057; and Colonel Alan L. Laubscher, District Engineer, U.S. Army
Engineer District Galveston, P.O. Box 1229, Galveston, TX 77553.
As part of its investigation, the examiners committee will hold a
public hearing on June 13, 1984, beginning at 9:00 a.m., in the Conference
Room of Building B, John Gray Institute, 855 Florida Ave., Beaumont.
Interested parties are invited to present their views at the hearing.
Persons wishing to testify should notify the Board's Executive Secretary
in writing at the address below or by phone (202/377-2862) by June 5.
Instead of an oral presentation, written statements may be submitted in
accordance with the Board's regulations to the examiners committee, care
of the Executive Secretary, at any time from the date of this notice
through July 13, 1984.
A copy of the application and accompanying exhibits will be available
during this time for public inspection at each of the following locations:
District Director's Office,
U.S. Cutoms Service,
4550 75th Street,
Port Arthur, TX 77640
Office of the Executive Secretary,
Foreign-Trade Zones Board,
U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 1872,
14th and Pennsylvania, NW.,
Washington, D.C. 20230
Dated: May 10, 1984.
John J. Da Ponte, Jr.,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 84-13119 Filed 5-15-84; 8:45 am]
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