UPS Foreign Trade Zone Solutions

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As your global supply chain evolves, you may be challenged by managing risks and costs. Have you considered a foreign trade zone to help address risk while reducing duties, import taxes and fees?

UPS® Zone Solutions

UPS® Zone Solutions offers a comprehensive suite of Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) services – from consultation, to FTZ management, to complete end-to-end FTZ warehousing – to help you increase visibility, manage compliance, reduce costs and improve service levels.

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Ease Supply Chain Turmoil with Foreign Trade Zones

If you import goods into the US and are searching for ways to save time and money while improving efficiency, then an FTZ may be just right for you. This guide to FTZs will help you understand what exactly an FTZ is and how using one can help your business grow.

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FTZ Services to Fit Your Needs

Looking to harness the benefits of an FTZ for your business? Whether you are looking for a fully managed FTZ service or you just need someone to make some recommendations to help optimize your existing zone, UPS Supply Chain Solutions can help.

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Managed Services

Once you’re up and running, we can help you manage all your FTZ-related activity. We monitor and reconcile all transactions entering and exiting to help you improve compliance.

Gateway Consolidation

Goods imported through our UPS Gateway FTZs located in Dallas, Los Angeles, New York (JFK) and Chicago undergo rigorous audits and validations before entering the United States. We may be able help you consolidate goods into a single customs entry to reduce entry and processing fees.

An End-to-End Solution

UPS Zone Solutions, in conjunction with UPS Global Logistics and Distribution services, offers a solution that features FTZ managed services, along with warehouse space and management for your merchandise.

General Purpose Zones

If you aren’t quite ready for your own dedicated FTZ, our UPS General Purpose Zones (GPZs) are designed to meet the needs of multiple customers while helping you maintain individualized service, security and compliance for your merchandise within the zone.

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Is an FTZ Right for You?

Use our FTZ cost calculator to determine the estimated value and savings of an FTZ for your business.

See What You Could Save

Our FTZs Go to Work for You

Save time, cut costs and reduce stress with an FTZ designed for you and your business.

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  • Customs entry consolidation

    Save time and reduce costs by consolidating customs entry fees into weekly transactions

  • Duty deferral

    Store goods duty-free until you’re ready for them to go to market

  • Inverted tariff shifts

    Goods kitted, manipulated or manufactured in a zone may qualify for reduced or deferred tariffs

  • Enhanced monitoring and control

    Systematic monitoring of transactions drives consistent processes

  • Faster time to market

    Merchandise is stored within the physical boundaries of the US, allowing you to get it onto shelves faster

  • Zone-to-Zone transfers

    Move items between zones while maintaining duty-free status, helping you to optimize

Customs Expertise

Curious to see how much you could save with an FTZ? Need help with your import business? Utilize our Customs Brokerage professionals to help you optimize every end of your import/export supply chain.

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FTZ Savings Calculator

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Customs Brokerage

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Freight Services

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Foreign Trade Zones 101

New to Foreign Trade Zones? Here's what people often ask.

What is a foreign trade zone (FTZ)?
A physical, secure area within U.S. Boundaries, often located in or adjacent to a Port of Entry. For U.S. Customs purposes, an FTZ is considered outside of the Customs territory of the United States, for purposes of paying U.S. customs duties.
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Why should I use a foreign trade zone (FTZ)?
Utilizing an FTZ can create a competitive advantage within different industries. Companies who are seeking benefits of duty deferral, duty elimination, inverted tariffs, supply chain efficiencies, and consolidating entries would be great candidates for the FTZ Program.
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What goods can be placed in a foreign trade zone (FTZ)?
Both foreign and domestic merchandise which are not prohibited by law or the FTZ Board may be admitted into a foreign trade zone. Foreign trade zones may also admit certain merchandise which would typically not be allowed until proper approval is in place. For example, a company waiting on FDA approval may admit their non-FDA approved goods into the FTZ while they obtain/wait for FDA approval.
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What can a foreign trade zone (FTZ) be used for?
An FTZ can be used in the same manner as typical warehouse and manufacturing operations. Typical activities allowed in an FTZ include: product assembly, testing, sampling, repackaging and relabeling, manufacturing, storage, consolidation, sorting, scraping, processing, destroying and other activities as approved by CBP and the FTZ Board.
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What types of a foreign trade zones (FTZs) are there?
There are two types of FTZS – General Purpose Zones and Subzones. The type of zone a company would establish is dependent upon multiple factors and should be vetted prior to selecting.
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What is a "Gateway FTZ"?
A Gateway FTZ is a standard FTZ located at a port that allows shippers to process multiple shipments from multiple origins as a single weekly entry to help minimize time in transit, specifically for air freight. The main advantage in a gateway FTZ is a single merchandise processing fee covers the entire week’s worth of shipments, and the shipments are prepared and processed as one customs entry.
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How can UPS help me manage my foreign trade zone (FTZ)?
UPS Zone Solutions is a full-service consulting group for FTZs. UPS can provide feasibility reviews, consulting services to help designate and activate facilities for FTZ, support on Notification of Production Authority Requests and general FTZ advice. UPS can also provide FTZ-specific audits for zone operators/users which look at the process, facilities, security, and documentation/recordkeeping of the FTZ. Additionally, UPS can provide managed services to FTZ operators/users through the systematic administration of their FTZ.
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What is in-bond management?

Whenever a shipment is moving within the US but has not yet cleared customs, it needs to travel in-bond. This allows goods to move between ports of entry and to US FTZs without entering into US commerce (no filing a Customs entry or paying import duty or fees).

In-bond shipments are a standard part of most supply chains, but to maximize the effectiveness of your duty delay and mitigation strategy with FTZs, consider coordinated in-bond management across carriers and transportation modes.

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