Foreign Trade Zone

building
Foreign Trade Zone
FOREIGN TRADE ZONE
Huntley area businesses are located within Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) #176, and therefore have access to all the benefits associated with participating in FTZ programs.  The FTZ program is a partnership between the U.S. government and private sector importers.  Each approved location is a specially designated area and considered to be outside of U.S. Customs territory. For that reason, when cargo arrives in the country for an FTZ operator, it does not immediately clear customs. The cargo receives preferential treatment with duties deferred, reduced or eliminated. In addition, there are supply chain, inventory control and other savings available through the FTZ program.  The U.S. Department of Commerce can be helpful in determining how exporting can enhance your business. 

Who can operate a Foreign Trade Zone?  
Any entity can become an activated site or subzone. Most are owned and operated by private businesses through approval and regulation from the federal government.

What are the Benefits of Using a FTZ?
1. Cash Flow:  Defer, reduce or even eliminate duties and fees paid on imported product
  • There is significant deferral on the average inventory during the first year in the FTZ program
  • Foreign merchandise in the zone may be re-exported free of duty and federal excise tax
  • Returns of foreign merchandise to exporters pay no duties on these products
  • Value added to merchandise in an FTZ subzone/site is not dutiable
  • Certain duty deferral and reduction benefits apply on production equipment
  • The insurable value of foreign merchandise in an FTZ subzone/site will not include customs duties already paid, reducing insurance premiums
2. Supply Chain Timeline
  • Product is not held at the port of entry for customs clearance, often resulting in a one to three day reduction in the supply chain.
  • With prior approval by customs, FTZ operators can facilitate the movement of foreign product. Customs officers do not need to be present to break seals or ship products. 
3. Inventory Control
  • FTZ demands accurate reporting to follow foreign merchandise from receipt and processing to shipment for export or entry into U.S. customs territory
  • Reduces inaccurate inventory, emergency shipments and tracking of import receipts from the point of origin to the final destination. Increased accountability will reduce staff time needed to deal with government regulations
  • Fungible inventory accounting methods, such as FIFO and FOFI (foreign first), are approved for zone operations
Will My Company Benefit?
Indicators that your company should consider FTZ include: