By Dorie Cox Yachts at Rybovich have found several ways to take advantage of the yard’s new U.S. Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) in West Palm…
Lauderdale Marine Center was granted the nation’s first marine Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) designation at its facilities in Fort Lauderdale on June 7.
“This has been the culmination of efforts from the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration, industry experts and our internal team,” Doug West, president of LMC, said in a press release.
LMC’s foreign trade zone designation offers numerous benefits to the South Florida yachting industry:
Traditionally, a foreign trade zone is one specific physical location, such as a portion of a seaport or airport. But in 2012, the laws were changed to allow “alternate site framework,” which lets businesses incorporate the FTZ in their existing locations. In 2016, MIASF was approved by the U.S. Department of Commerce as the operator of the subzone. Karen Reese, the FTZ administrator for the city of Fort Lauderdale, said the 16-site marine industry subzone under MIASF is the first recreational marine foreign trade zone in the United States.
Member companies work out the logistics for their specific areas with Customs. To be approved by Customs, the individual sites must have restricted access and strict controls to monitor import and export of boats and parts. If approved, those sites are considered to be outside of U.S. Customs territory, and as such, can defer, reduce or eliminate Customs duties on foreign products. Those areas also can be activated or deactivated fairly simply, allowing them to contract or expand the FTZ as necessary. Lauderdale Marine Center says it plans to expand the zone as demand increases.
Topics: