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.
May 31, 2023
Madam Secretary: The FTZ industry is breathing easier this month. The U.S. Department of Commerce formally announced the appointment of Elizabeth Whiteman as Executive Secretary of the Foreign-Trade Zones Board. That means there is an experienced hand at the helm of this evolving program as it prepares to enter its ninth decade of fostering U.S. employment growth through international trade. […]
May 2, 2023
Mixed Signals For FTZs The month of April was a mixture of good and not-as-good news for international traders. The ILWU announced that they reached agreement on more key issues with the PMA, which is an improvement over the work stoppages we reported to you in April’s FTZ’ine. No west coast contract yet though. U.S. Customs had dramatic attendance at […]
April 4, 2023
Food Fight – Well we know for sure the PMA and ILWU are discussing the west coast labor contract. Because now they are fighting. ILWU Local 13 workers have shut down terminal operations in LA/LB during lunch and dinner breaks. Terminal operators want to stagger breaks so pickups and drop-offs can continue during meals. The lack of a contract makes […]
March 1, 2023
It is Balloooon! Not since the days of Fort Courage has a quasi-celestial object so entranced your nation’s capital. That first balloon was perhaps a fitting symbol of the wind-whipped drift of U.S.-China relations during the month. Good news from our mates across the pond. Leadership of the United Kingdom and the European Union announced an agreement on a new […]
January 31, 2023
Still Working The Brakes – The Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates again today, reflecting the continued strength of the U.S. economy. Inflation is down from its peak last year, but the Fed wants additional reductions in the pace of consumer price increases. U.S. chickens have so far been unruffled by any federal action to pen in price […]
January 3, 2023
End Of Eras – We hope all our readers enjoyed a safe and enjoyable holiday with family and friends. Just before we left for a much needed break, Congress passed a massive $1.7T omnibus spending bill to fund the military and government through Sept. 30th, the end of the government fiscal year. The bill includes pay raises for service members […]
December 1, 2022
Next The revolving door at the top of U.S. Customs and Border Protection was spinning again last month as Chris Magnus was pressured to resign as Commissioner. While administration concerns with Magnus centered on Border Control, it leaves U.S. trade policy enforcement without a leader once again. Still no word on an ILWU contract as west coast container volume continues […]
November 1, 2022
Click That Lever: Baseball season is now officially over, as far as the Yankee fans at the FTZ’ine are concerned. For reasons that are not apparent here in DC, two teams are still playing anyway. What is clear is that election season is in full swing, with Election Day 2022 just one week from today. Tight, meaningful races abound this […]
October 4, 2022
The “R” Word It’s back. Despite strong employment numbers, talk of a global and US recession is getting louder. How fast our economy might slow is confusing the stock market, leading to wild swings but a decidedly downward direction for the year. Global investors seeking a safe haven are buying US dollars. That makes it a great time to visit […]
September 1, 2022
What I Did This Summer Well that was fast. With the Labor Day holiday just days away your Nation’s Capitol can now look back at its accomplishments and disappointments of hot, dry Summer 2022. There were legislative successes. First, Congress passed the CHIPS and Science Act to stimulate the reshoring of semiconductor manufacturing in the United States. Then, seemingly out […]
August 2, 2022
The Race To Recess – The Senate goes on summer vacation beginning this coming Monday, August 8th, until Labor Day. They have been trying to get all their work done before then, and have actually had some surprising successes. No Toto, there is still no federal budget, but Congress did agree on an incentive plan to try and bring supply […]
June 30, 2022
Breathe In, Breathe Out, Breathe In . . . International traders are breathing easier now that the new list of Chinese companies with import bans has been published . . . and looks a lot like the old list. That helped smooth the June implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), and eased the breathing patterns of US […]