Custom Services International Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ)

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A Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) is an area within the geographical boundary of the United States that is considered to be outside the Customs territory of the U.S.

Companies may bring foreign and domestic merchandise into zones for storage, testing, relabeling, displaying, manufacturing, and for eventual entry into the U.S. commerce or for exportation from the U.S.

All Customs duties and federal excise taxes are deferred while merchandise is in a zone and, in many instances, these duties or taxes can be substantially reduced or eliminated through zone use.

Advantages
Exerpts from U.S. Customs Procedures and Requirements brochure, U.S. Customs:

Customs duty and internal revenue tax, if applicable, are paid when merchandise is transferred for comsumption.
While in a zone, merchandise is not subject to U.S. duty or tax. Certain tangible personal property is generally exempt from state and local ad valorem taxes.
Goods may be exported from a zone free of duty and tax.
Customs procedural requirements are minimal
Merchandise may remain in a zone indefinitely, whether or not subject to duty

Customs security requirements provide extra protection against theft.
The zone user who plans to enter merchandise for consumption in customs territory may elect to pay either the duty and taxes on the foreign material placed in the zone or on the article transferred from the zone. The rate of duty and tax and the value of the merchandise may change as a result of manipulation or manufacture in the zone. Therefore, the importer may pay the lowest duty possible on the imported merchandise.

Merchandise under bond may be transferred to a foreign trade zone from the customs territory for the purpose of satisfying a legal requirement to export or destroy the merchandise. For instance, merchandise may be taken into a zone in order to satisfy and exportation requirement of the Tariff Act of 1930, or an exportation requirement of any other Federal law insofar as the agency charged with its enforcement deems it advisable.