The U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones Board has authorized Hypertherm Inc. to carry out limited production activity under foreign-trade-zone procedures at its Hanover and Lebanon facilities for one year, with one exception.
The exception is the use of precision cut hafnium wire as a foreign-status component, which the board said requires further review. To seek authorization for it, Hypertherm would need to file an application for production authority under section 400.23 of the board's rules, according to a Federal Register notice published Nov. 5.
The notice says the board told the company Nov. 2 that no further review of the rest of the activity was warranted at this time. The authorization is subject to the Foreign-Trade Zones Act and the board's regulations, including section 400.14.
What Hypertherm proposed
Hypertherm filed its notification March 20 for facilities within Subzone 81H of Foreign-Trade Zone 81. The board invited public comment in a March 26 notice, with comments due May 5.
That notice listed the proposed finished products as plasma cutting consumables and kits containing them. The foreign-status materials and components were tellurium copper rods, oxygen-free high thermal conductivity rods and precision cut hafnium. The notice gave duty rates of 2.7% to 4.7% for the finished products and 1.6% to 4.0% for the foreign inputs.
The November notice, which appears at 91 FR 69792, is signed by Colin Agostisi, the board's executive secretary, and carries case number B-32-2026. The board processed the notification under part 400 of Title 15 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Neither notice gives employment figures.