FAQs

What Types of FTZs Are Authorized?

• A foreign-trade zone can be either a general-purpose zone (GPZ) or a subzone. A GPZ can be established for multiple activities by multiple users. It must be operated as public utility and must be located within 60 statute miles or 90 minutes driving time from the outer limits of a Customs port of entry. GPZs may consist of one or multiple sites, e.g. a single building, an industrial park, a deepwater port or an international airport.
  
  
• If a company seeks FTZ status for its own plant or facility, or if an existing GPZ cannot accommodate the company's proposed acitivity, the Foreign-Trade Zone Board may designate one or more sites as subzones. No legal distinctions are made in the types of activity that may be undertaken in GPZs or subzones. Typically, subzones are designated for an individual company's manufacturing operations. Subzones can be located anywhere within a State (or equivalent, such as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or the District of Columbia), provided that a sponsoring GPZ exists in that State, and that Customs can fulfill its proper oversight functions at the proposed location of the subzone.

FTZ FAQ #0002