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Foreign-Trade Zones

Lower your company's cost of doing business. Ohio's Foreign-Trade Zone Program can help.

Ohio has 10 designated Foreign-Trade Zones strategically located around the state that help companies reduce operating costs while increasing profits. Foreign goods may be admitted to an Ohio Foreign-Trade Zone without being subject to customs duties or other import-related taxes.

Foreign-Trade Zones are secured sites where goods can be stored, repackaged, assembled and manufactured. The zones offer companies the ability to reduce, defer or eliminate duties, and stored inventory is not subject to import quotas. Products imported into these zones are exempt from duty until they enter the U.S. marketplace, and duty is never paid if the products are re-exported.

Foreign origin items may be assembled/manufactured in an FTZ and achieve a lower duty rate, or duty-free status, for finished goods that exit the FTZ for sale in the U.S.

Ohio's Foreign-Trade Zones can provide:

• Improved cash flow
• Scrap/waste savings
• Reduced/eliminated taxes
• Production machinery duty savings
• Duty reduction, elimination and tax deferral
• Quota management
• Inventory costs, broker fee and insurance savings
• Inventory control and security measures
• Logistical and exhibition advantages
• Zone-to-zone transfers
• Direct delivery (without customs clearance)
• Weekly entry

International companies located in Ohio realize all the benefits of locating in a Foreign-Trade Zone, along with a lower cost of doing business with easy access to profitable markets, a central location and world-class logistics infrastructure.

The Ohio Department of Development's International Trade Assistance Center Program operates from the state's six Small Business Development Centers and provides support for businesses new to the export market. The program offers free consulting services and fee-based training and market research, among other marketplace support.

The International Trade Assistance Centers link with offices worldwide to help Ohio companies target new customers in international markets. To learn more, call 1-800-848-1300 or e-mail sbdc@odod.state.oh.us.