Foreign-Trade Zone 84, Houston, Texas, Proposed Foreign-Trade Subzone, Exxon Corporation (Oil Refinery Complex) Harris County, Texas

[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 13 (Friday, January 19, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 1323]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-624]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
[Docket 79-95]


Foreign-Trade Zone 84, Houston, Texas, Proposed Foreign-Trade 
Subzone, Exxon Corporation (Oil Refinery Complex) Harris County, Texas

    An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board 
(the Board) by the Port of Houston Authority, grantee of FTZ 84, 
requesting special-purpose subzone status for the oil refinery complex 
of Exxon Corporation, located in Harris County, Texas. 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 December 12, 1995.
    The refinery and petrochemical complex (3,500 acres) is located on 
the Houston Ship Channel at 2800 Decker Drive, Harris County (Baytown 
area), Texas, some 25 miles east of Houston. The refinery (400,000 
barrels per day; 4,000 employees) is used to produce fuels and 
petrochemical feedstocks. Fuels produced include gasoline, jet fuel, 
distillates, residual fuels, and naphthas. Petrochemicals include 
resins, epichlorohydrin, methyl ethyl ketone, allyl chloride, secondary 
butyl alcohol, polypropylene, methane, ethane, propane, butane, 
butylene, ethylene, propylene and butadiene. Refinery by-products 
include sulfur and petroleum coke. Some 60 percent of the crude oil (85 
percent of inputs), and some feedstocks and motor fuel blendstocks used 
in producing fuel products are sourced abroad.
    Zone procedures would exempt the refinery from Customs duty 
payments on the foreign products used in its exports. On domestic 
sales, the company would be able to choose the finished product duty 
rate (nonprivileged foreign status--NPF) on certain petrochemical 
feedstocks and refinery by-products (duty-free). The duty on crude oil 
ranges from 5.25 cents to 10.5 cents/barrel. Foreign merchandise would 
also be exempt from state and local ad valorem taxes. The application 
indicates that the savings from zone procedures would help improve the 
refinery'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 
March 19, 1996. Rebuttal comments in response to material submitted 
during the foregoing period may be submitted during the subsequent 15-
day period (to April 3, 1996).
    A copy of the application and accompanying exhibits will be 
available for public inspection at each of the following locations:

U.S. Department of Commerce District Office, #1 Allen Center, Suite 
1160, 500 Dallas, Houston, Texas 77002
Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, Room 
3716, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20230


    Dated: December 14, 1995.
John J. Da Ponte, Jr.,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-624 Filed 1-18-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P