Great things are happening in Tampa Bay
Administration of Foreign-Trade Zone No. 79, encompassing Tampa Bay and the Interstate 4 corridor, has recently been placed under the administration of Port Tampa Bay. Torrey Chambliss is manager of FTZ No. 79 and cargo business development at Port Tampa Bay. Established in 1982 by the U.S. Department of Commerce and supervised by the not-for-profit Foreign Trade Zone No. 79 Board Inc., the zone offers several established sites for current importers and exporters, and opportunities for businesses to apply to have their facility designated for FTZ activity. The FTZ No. 79 board recently announced that both Hillsborough and Polk counties had been established as West Central Florida’s first alternative site framework service area, which allows for an expedited FTZ application process. Businesses operating within FTZ No. 79 sites have access to customs-related operational and financial benefits, such as minimized import documentation filing and an opportunity to defer, reduce or even eliminate customs duties on imported merchandise.