CFS Is The New FTZ: Container Freight Stations (CFS) are replacing FTZs as the must-have supply chain tool for e-commerce fulfillment. Because a CFS can be little more than a cross-dock operation, communities with e-commerce distribution facilities stand to lose jobs overseas unless action is taken soon to allow FTZs to process shipments that qualify for the de minimus (Section […]

At the beginning of last month, trade was on the tip of everyone’s tongue in your Nations’ Capital. Fresh negotiations were getting traction with Japan and India, and the world was looking forward to the possibility of reduced tensions coming out of the meeting of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. That all changed with […]

Maybe We Should Talk Baseball Instead  The Washington Nationals Baseball Team surprised everyone this week with a stunning 6-2 victory over the Houston Astros in Game 7 to win the World Series.  For at least 48 hours, the team changed the DC news feed to something positive.  During the playoffs the Nationals went 5-0 in elimination games and were eight […]

Impeachment hearings once again crowded out any progress on trade policy last month. Your nation’s capital became enthralled by captivating testimony from members of the Trump administration on negotiations over the release of military aide to Ukraine. That leaves time running very short for passage of USMCA, but a green light from the House Speaker right before the Thanksgiving break […]

Trade Must Have Been Nice Last Year . . .  Well we had to wait all year, but December revealed which list the international trade community was on – there were an awful lot of presents for trade right before the end of the year!  Confirmation of Brexit, a modest trade deal with China, a federal budget, and USMCA passage […]

The 2020 Election Heats Up – Yesterday, the Iowa caucuses began in earnest, kicking off the voting for a Democratic challenger this November. The Senate is expected to formally vote tomorrow to bring an end to the impeachment trial of President Trump. With impeachment proceedings complete, and primary voting in full swing, the 2020 campaign is likely to consume all […]

Groundhog Day – It was fun at first. Staying home from work. Staying home from school. Teaching Grandma to Zoom. But now the days are starting to run together for the FTZine staff. No one has to go to work today . . . again. The kids are home from school today . . .again. There’s no toilet paper at […]

We Could All Use Some Angels Right Now – The Blue Angels (and Thunderbirds) were in town this past weekend to salute the heroic work of first responders and health care workers around the country. The hospital flyover by the Navy and Air Force precision air teams provided a much-needed distraction in your Nation’s Capital.Then it was back to reality. […]

Growing Grip of The Pandemic – The impact of the coronavirus has gotten deeper and is affecting trade in ways that could not have been predicted at the outset of the pandemic. Taiwan and Hong Kong have now become flash points in the trade dispute between the United States and China, and tensions continue to escalate.Rapidly growing unemployment is forcing […]