Posted by: encon commercial real estate services | July 13th, 2014
From large manufacturers to individuals, any size importer or exporter can take advantage of a foreign-trade zone (FTZ). However, many companies are unaware of the sizeable cost savings and other benefits they can achieve by taking advantage of an FTZ program. Utilizing an FTZ can significantly reduce costs from customs duties, taxes and tariffs; improve global market competitiveness; and minimize bureaucratic regulations. Outside the United States, there are many other names for FTZs, including free, foreign, or export processing zones. Below are some benefits of using an FTZ.
To take advantage of an FTZ, companies need to be able to track their inventory; trace manufacturing and production orders; determine whether material came from domestic or international sources; and classify goods for duty deferrals and reductions. How much a company saves by using an FTZ depends on the size of the company and its business model. Reducing merchandise processing fees alone can save a company a substantial amount of money.
Larger companies may want to consider using automation to help alleviate the burden of managing the FTZ process, particularly since with high-volume operations it can be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to manage manually. The data needed for classifying goods, for example, is voluminous and frequently changes and must be pulled from country-specific lists. Software that has this information in a central repository with automatic updates can pull information from different systems, such as import/export and warehouse management systems, and use that data for Customs filing and inventory management.