FTZ Filed for Fluoropolymer Films and Coated Substrates - Glass Fiber Fabrics Excluded

On April 10, 2018, Textiles Coated International Inc. submitted a notification of proposed production activity to the Foreign-Trade Zone Board for its facilities in Manchester and Londonderry, New Hampshire. The facilities are used for the production of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) products.

Production under FTZ procedures could exempt TCI from customs duty payments on the foreign-status materials/components used in export production (an estimated 40 percent of production). On its domestic sales, for the foreign-status materials/components noted below, TCI would be able to choose the duty rates during customs entry procedures that apply to: fluoropolymer film sheeting .152mm in thickness in rolls and not in rolls; PTFE fiberglass colored and not colored; PTFE gaskets; joint sealants; sheet gasketing material with and without adhesives; silicone fiberglass fabrics with and without color; flexible PTFE ducting with coils reinforced and unreinforced; and, PTFE coated fiberglass sheets (duty rate ranges from 3.1% to 7.3%). TCI would be able to avoid duty on foreign-status components which become scrap/waste. Customs duties also could possibly be deferred or reduced on foreignstatus production equipment.

The materials and components sourced from abroad include: PTFE dispersions; PTFE fine powders; fluoropolymer film sheeting 0.152mm in thickness in rolls and not in rolls; woven glass fiber mats; woven glass fiber fabrics colored and not colored; fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) pellets; ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) pellets; and, perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) pellets (duty rate ranges from 4.2% to 7.3%).

The request indicates that woven glass fiber mats and woven glass fiber fabrics colored and not colored will be admitted to the zone in privileged foreign status (19 CFR 146.41), thereby precluding inverted tariff benefits on such items.

The request also indicates that, PTFE dispersions and PTFE fine powders are subject to an antidumping/countervailing duty (AD/CVD) investigation if imported from certain countries. The FTZ Board’s regulations (15 CFR 400.14(e)) require that merchandise subject to AD/CVD orders, or items which would be otherwise subject to suspension of liquidation under AD/CVD procedures if they entered U.S. customs territory, be admitted to the zone in privileged foreign status (19 CFR 146.41).