| U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones Board |
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OMB No. 0625-0139
Expiration Date 12/31/2014 Application Instruction Sheet (1)
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Public reporting burden for this collection of information is
estimated to vary from 20 to 120 hours per response (average 93 hours),
including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data
sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and
reviewing the collection of information. Persons wishing to comment on
the burden estimate or any aspect of this collection of information, or
offer suggestions for reducing this burden, should send their COMMENTS
to the ita Reports Clearance Officer, International Trade Administration,
U.S., and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction
Project (0625-0139), Washington, D.C. 20230.
No zone, subzone, or zone expansion may be granted unless a completed application has been received (19 U.S.C. 81a-81u; 15 CFR Part 400). The basic requirements for foreign-trade zone applications are found in the regulations of the Foreign-Trade Zones Board (15 CFR Part 400), including Sections 400.24, 400.25 and 400.26. (See also, Section 400.31.) Application guidelines are available on the FTZ Board web site: http://www.trade.gov/ftz. Corporations submitting applications must be qualified to apply for a zone grant of authority under the laws of the state in which the zone is to be located. Usually applicants are state and local agencies or public type corporations. Port authorities and economic development agencies are the most prevalent. Zone projects should be coordinated at the state level, so that they are consistent with state economic development plans. Zones are intended to provide a special Customs-related service to the business community, giving them greater flexibility in the Customs phase of their international competitiveness. An objective of the zone program is to encourage commercial and industrial operations in the United States that would otherwise have been conducted abroad for Customs reasons, including export activity. Zones should help create employment, not simply divert it from one region of the country to another. Most zones are part of larger facilities that include warehouse/ distribution and industrial park space. Projects should be consolidated to provide zone procedures at a single or limited number of locations. Zones can be authorized only for sites that are in or near U.S. Customs ports of entry. (See, 19 CFR Part 101, for a list of such ports.) When it is possible for a firm to use zone procedures only at its own plant, designation as an adjunct to a general-purpose zone (subzone) can be considered. Subzones can be approved only when a public benefit resulting in a positive economic effect is demonstrated. These facilities need not be in Customs port of entry areas if the firm involved signs an agreement with the U.S. Customs Service regarding examination of merchandise and automated inventory control procedures. If an application involves areas located in a state where inventory is subject to personal property taxation, the economic impact section of the application (See, 15 CFR 400.24(d)(4)(v) and 400.25 (a)(3)(x)) should contain a statement regarding the views of appropriate local officials with respect to the impact of the tax exemption that would result from proposed zone activity. The Foreign-Trade Zones Board has no authority to finance zone projects. Its approval is in the form of a grant of authority (license) for operating a facility under foreign-trade zone procedures. The application must describe how the zone project is to be financed (Exhibit 3). Capital costs are associated with Customs security requirements, and zones are operated under the day-to-day supervision of the U.S. Customs Service. The local port director of Customs should be contacted as zone plans are being developed. Economic and financial viability should be important factors to applicants, and they are among the factors considered by the Board. Applications should not be submitted until there is convincing evidence of a need for zone services. Though a zone will normally help attract some types of new business activity, an application cannot be based on mere expectations. Letters of intent from firms that are expected to be the first zone users should be included in the application (Exhibit 4). Applicants may submit drafts of their applications to the FTZ Staff, which can provide comments and technical assistance in interpreting the Board's regulations. Foreign-Trade Zones Board U.S. Department of Commerce 1401 Constitution Avenue, N.W., FCB 4100W Washington, D.C. 20230 (202) 482-2862 FTZ Staff December 2001 1. These comments are for the general guidance of communities and persons considering zone projects. They are intended to supplement the legal provisions of the Foreign-Trade Zones Act (19 U.S.C. 81a-81u), the Foreign-Trade Zones Board Regulations (15 CFR Part 400), and the Regulations of the U.S. Customs Service on Foreign-Trade Zones (19 CFR Part 146). |