If your business imports goods for warehousing, distribution or manufacturing, then you could benefit from being in the Foreign Trade Zone.

Under U.S. Customs regulations a Foreign Trade Zone is an area considered to be in international commerce. This allows companies to move foreign or domestic materials into a Zone duty-free. Duty is only paid when goods leave the Zone and enter domestic markets.

A much overlooked benefit to companies, who import regular shipments of product from overseas, is a significant reduction in "Merchandise Processing Fees".

How does this work? Customs assesses a "Merchandise Processing Fee" (MPF) per entry which is calculated as 0.21% (.0021) of the full declared value of the merchandise, up to a maximum of $485. Foreign Trade Zones are only required to submit one entry per week for all shipments from the Zone. In other words, an importer will pay a maximum MPF of only $485 per week - regardless of the number of entries filed for the week.

The savings for this one item alone could amount to many thousands of dollars in savings to the importer located in a Foreign Trade Zone.

IS A FOREIGN TRADE ZONE
RIGHT FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

Ask yourself these simple questions:

	Does your company import products to the U.S.?
	Does the annual value of the imported merchandise
	exceed $1 million?
	Do you manufacture, assemble or process with imports?
	Do you re-export?
	Do you import merchandise subject to quotas?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, your company is likely to benefit from the advantages of a Foreign Trade Zone.

To find out more about how your company
can be more profitable and competitive, visit the
Foreign Trade Zone web site
Or call (954) 680-0223 or email: bpic@bergeroninc.com.