MidAmerica St. Louis Airport - Foreign Trade Zone No. 31
What is a Foreign Trade Zone?
A Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) is a site within the United States where foreign and domestic merchandise is in the stream of international commerce. Foreign and domestic merchandise may enter this Zone without a formal customs entry, the payment of customs duties, or Federal and State use/excise taxes and personal property taxes. Firms may also perform manufacturing or processing operations, packing or inspection checks, and a variety of other activities using imported goods before duties are paid. Scrap or rejected goods not entering the commerce of the United States are never taxed. By using several cost saving strategies, firms may use Foreign Trade Zones to decrease operational costs associated with customs duties.
What are the advantages of using a Foreign Trade Zone?
- Limit the requirement to pay customs duty on arrival of merchandise
- Eliminate duty on re-exported merchandise
- Eliminate duty on damaged or unmarketable items
- Defer duty payments until goods are ready for sale
- Limit non-value-added costs while manipulation or processing merchandise in the FTZ
- Store both bonded and non-bonded merchandise within the FTZ
- Reduced insurance rate on merchandise stored in the FTZ
For more information about utilizing the Foreign Trade Zone at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, please contact the Airport Director at (618) 566-5240 or via email at [email protected].
