Foreign Trade Zone #216

FTZ Benefits:

Defer customs duties and federal excise taxes until merchandise is transferred from the FTZ to domestic market customs territory of the U.S. or a North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) country (Canada or Mexico).
Reduce processing/entry tees by as much as 85 percent with the Weekly Entry Process, which allows goods to be shipped 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with just one entry filed each week and just one Merchandise Processing Fee per entry.
Reduce customs duties on goods processed or assembled in the FTZ when imported components have a higher duty rate than the finished goods (see example below).
Defer Harbor Maintenance Tax payments and pay quarterly instead of at time of entry.
Eliminate customs duties entirely when goods are re-exported from the FTZ.
Store quota merchandise in the FTZ until the quota period opens and immediately ship goods into U.S. Customs and Border Protection territory.
Exempt imported goods from state and local ad valorem taxes when they are held in the FTZ for storage, sale, exhibition, repackaging, assembly, distribution, sorting, grading, cleaning, mixing, display, manufacturing or processing. Goods manufactured in the U.S. and held in the FTZ are also exempt.
Eliminate the need for drawback and keep funds in the operating capital of the company.

Foreign-Trade Zones present advantages and opportunities for businesses seeking a competitive edge in the world marketplace.