WTDC has assisted with the FTZ application and activation process for many Foreign Trade Zones. WTDC was the first FTZ in Miami-Dade County to take advantage of the Alternative Site Framework (ASF) for PortMiami’s FTZ 281. WTDC became an active FTZ on December 12, 2012.
Logistics companies, exporters, and duty-free companies are ideal candidates for FTZ status in South Florida. Miami-Dade County has the highest concentration of Foreign Trade Zones in the USA. Thanks to Miami’s geographic location and its logistics infrastructure, Miami has been dubbed “The Gateway to the Americas.”
FTZ Application and Activation Consulting
Initial Consultation – WTDC works with our clients to evaluate if Foreign Trade Zone status is a good fit for their operation. Following a meeting where we review the operation and facility, WTDC will prepare a proposal for our services as well as an outline of fees due to other parties as part of the process. As an operator, we can offer further insight on the day to day expectations of a Foreign Trade Zone, not just assistance in compiling the application.
Application – WTDC works with clients – the Operator – to prepare an FTZ Application to be processed by the Grantee. An Operator is a corporation or partnership that maintains and operates the Zone at the permission of the Grantee and in compliance with U.S. Customs. A Grantee is a public or private entity that has the authority to establish, operate, or maintain a Zone. The most popular FTZ option for companies looking to operate their own independent FTZ in Miami would be to apply to Miami-Dade County’s FTZ 281 – PortMiami is the Grantee. There are fees due to the County for the Application and then due annually in order operate the FTZ in good standing. The completed Application is then sent by the Grantee to the Foreign Trade Zones Board for approval. The Foreign Trade Zones Board is within the Department of Commerce. Following this approval, a contract will be drafted by the County to bind the Operator and the Grantee.
Following the Foreign Trade Zones Board approval and contract with the Grantee, the Operator will prepare another application to U.S Customs. This application is more in-depth than the Grantee application and will take cooperation between the Operator and WTDC. The CBP Application includes all the systems and processes detailing how the Operator will receive, store, and release cargo in compliance with U.S. Customs.
WTDC offers these consulting services:
- Foreign Trade Zone application
- Foreign Trade Zone activation
- U.S. Customs Bonded Warehouse application
- U.S. Customs Bonded Warehouse activation
- Duty drawback
- Logistics software implementation
- Standard operating procedures
- TTB, FDA, and other government registrations
- Supply chain design, implementation, and management