The Foreign-Trade Zones Board is establishing a new FTZ around Rochester, N.Y., it said in a March 20 Federal Register notice. New FTZ 289 will serve Ontario, Wayne, Seneca, Yates, Steuben and Livingston Counties under the alternative site framework, which provides a streamlined process for companies to apply for subzone status. The zone was requested by Ontario County in August (see 13082715). It will be the third FTZ in the Rochester area, with FTZ 141 and FTZ 284 already serving Monroe and Genesee Counties, respectively.
The U.S. Census Bureau on March 20 released trouble-shooting techniques to resolve frequent Fatal Error notification issues in the Automated Export System (AES). Fatal Errors occur when a shipment is rejected.
The Foreign-Trade Zones Board posted a reminder on its website that FTZ grantees must submit their 2013 Annual Reports through the Online FTZ Information System (OFIS) by March 31. The FTZ Board also posted to its website information for grantees on submission of the reports, including questions and answers from a 2012 webinar on the reports (here) and notes for preparing report data (here).
The Foreign-Trade Zones Board will hold an outreach event for grantees of FTZs in Seattle on May 6, according to a notice on its website. Registration for the event is free. RSVPs are due by May 2.
The International Trade Administration (ITA) will lead a trade promotion mission to Panama and Columbia Sept. 22-26 for companies in the U.S. safety and security industries. The mission will include a port and infrastructure security industry focus, it said. In each country, business-to-business matchmaking appointments will be held for participants and local companies, as well as networking events and market briefings. The ITA will accept applications on a rolling basis until June 20.
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security updated the Code of Federal Regulations legal authority in the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to extend the National Emergency With Respect to Terrorists Who Threaten To Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process. The extension is in accordance with the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. This final rule is procedural and has no impact on EAR compliance. The rule is effective March 19.
The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for March 18:
The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for March 17:
The Nogales-Santa Cruz Economic Development Foundation has submitted an application to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board to reorganize FTZ 60 under the Alternative Site Framework, said the FTZ Board in a Federal Register notice. Under the reorganization, the service area would cover Santa Cruz County, Arizona, which includes the Nogales border crossing. ASF streamlines processes for designation of new FTZ subzones and usage driven sites within the service area by allowing companies to request zone status through the relatively simple "minor boundary modification" process. Comments on the application are due by May 19.
The West Cameron Port Commission has applied to create a new foreign-trade zone in Cameron Parish near Lake Charles, Louisiana, according to a notice issued by the FTZ Board. The zone would be the second FTZ in the Lake Charles area. If approved, the West Cameron Port zone would have a service area under the Alternative Site Framework of Wards 3, 4, 5, and 6 of Cameron Parish. Comments on the proposed FTZ are due by May 16.