NAFTZ Tells Appropriators CBP Needs More Funding to Manage FTZs
The National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones did a round of lobbying calls last month to tell appropriators that in some ports, CBP isn't accepting applications for new FTZs because they don't have the resources to manage them. That, in turn, delays economic development, they argued. In a news release published Jan. 5, NAFTZ said that during the 14 meetings, they also argued that lack of money is the reason CBP backtracked on allowing goods detained under suspicion of forced labor to be housed in FTZs.
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"CBP disallowed storing these materials in a FTZ despite regulations allowing this activity, citing 'insufficient visibility,'" the group said.
NAFTZ President Jeffrey Tafel said: “The FTZ program is being restricted from economic benefits Congress envisioned because CBP continuously cites a lack of resources and/or system visibility as justification for not promoting the FTZ program.”