The Foreign-Trade Zine is the eMagazine of the Foreign-Trade Zone community. Each month, we cover local, national, and international news that affects FTZ operators, users, and Grantees. We also catalog Federal Register notices published by the Department of Commerce so you can keep abreast of the activity in the program across the country. Ready to get started? Send an email with the subject line “Subscribe” to FTZine@iscm.co.
October 31, 2024
Time To Vote: In an election this tight, every vote counts. Make sure yours is one of them. Last minute campaigning is consuming all the oxygen in Washington. Congress was able to pass a temporary spending bill to kick off the new government fiscal year that started at the beginning of this month. Yes, that means MPF caps have increased. […]
October 1, 2024
All Quiet On The Eastern Front: And that’s not a good thing. East and Gulf Coast Ports are closed. All of them. Nothing in or out. The two sides are not even talking at the moment and with the election so near, and so tight, it is not clear that President Biden will wade into the fray, or what impact […]
September 4, 2024
Deere In The Headlights: John Deere, the world’s largest seller of tractors and crop harvesters, has laid off over 1,000 workers so far this year as it shifts production to Mexico. That is sure to become a campaign issue as both Presidential candidates look to show support for union workers, and demonstrate understanding of the impact international trade issues have […]
July 31, 2024
That’s All Folks! Well, that’s all for the 2024 legislative agenda anyway. Wow. What a difference a month makes. As the last FTZ’ine went to press, we were eagerly anticipating the first Presidential Debate in a close race. A day later it looked like we could end up with a landslide. Three weeks after that we have a serious race […]
June 27, 2024
Where Will You Be Tonight At 9?: Our guess is that you will be watching the historic showdown between current President Joseph Biden and former President Donald Trump. The City of Atlanta hosts as CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate this year’s first Presidential debate beginning at 9 pm eastern. Trade, particularly trade with China, will be a […]
June 5, 2024
China Front And Center: Developments, mostly negative ones, in the U.S. relationship with China continue to dominate the international trade conversation in Washington. The Biden administration announced increased tariff rates and broadened the list of items from China with punitive charges, including a 102% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles. At the same time, a barrage of Chinese entities were added […]
May 2, 2024
Crazy Ivan: Washington politics are craziest during a Presidential election year. But some of the strange moves this year make it hard for even an insider to follow. Consider these sharp course corrections in just the last month: Left Rudder Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, was threatened with loss of the gavel by members of his […]
April 3, 2024
Still Home Of The Brave: This month’s international trade news is consumed by the instant and future implications of the destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. While the immediate implication for trade was the complete shutdown of container, bulk, and RoRo shipments into a major east coast terminal, it seems likely that ports around the country, and […]
March 4, 2024
The Name Is Bond: Customs Bond. FTZ bonds are not usually a newsworthy subject, but this month they are. CBP published a “A Guide For The Public” on how FTZ Customs bond amounts will be set. The changes will be important for new and existing FTZ operators, and Grantees will want to take note because questions are sure to come […]
January 31, 2024
The Race Narrows: A lot happened in the race for the Presidency last month. And those events are having a significant impact on trade already. At least three Republican hopefuls dropped out of the race, and the final challenger to Donald Trump for the Republican nomination has not yet garnered enough votes in a state primary to create a contest. […]
January 4, 2024
Welcome Back: Happy New Year! The FTZine staff hopes everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday break. We start the new year with some cleanup left over from 2023. There are still two wars to deal with, each with an expanding impact on ocean vessel traffic. Relations with China remain at a very low point with the possibility that a […]
November 30, 2023
Not Just Another Joe In Washington: The majorities in the House and Senate enjoy only the slimmest of margins. So it is big news in Washington when a Representative or Senator in a competitive district announce they are retiring. Especially when they announce they are retiring to run for President of the United States. Senator Joe Manchin, Democrat of West […]
