Heidtman Seeks FTZ 70 Production Approval for Michigan Steel Plant

FTZ News: Heidtman Tubular Products has asked the Foreign-Trade Zones Board for permission to make galvanized steel tubing under zone procedures at its plant in Erie, Michigan, according to a notice published Nov. 5 in the Federal Register.

The company filed the notification on Oct. 20, 2026, for its facility in Subzone 70AF of Foreign-Trade Zone 70. The proposed finished products are steel row tubes, steel tubes and steel brackets. The foreign-status inputs would be flat-rolled steel coils, including coils coated with zinc. The notice says both the finished products and the coils are duty-free under the normal tariff schedule.

Some of the steel coils could face additional duties under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, depending on the country of origin. The notice does not identify which countries would trigger those duties. Production under zone procedures would let the company defer or reduce duties on the imported coils until the finished tubing leaves the zone. The board has not yet authorized the activity. The notice does not say how many people work at the Erie plant or what share of the tubing is exported./.