US Department of Commerce designation to provide streamlined customs processing and offer tax benefits.The Allen Group, developers of the Dallas Logistics Hub (The Hub), announced that part of the 6,000 acre multi-modal logistics park has been included in the expansion of Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) #39 in Dallas, Texas. The designation, officially approved in late-February, will enable The Hub’s future customers to streamline shipments both domestically and internationally by deferring and exempting goods from duty, as well as making customs procedures more efficient. “Not only does the superior rail, intermodal and highway infrastructure adjacent to the Dallas Logistics Hub provide major savings in transportation costs, but the expansion of Zone #39 will provide tenants even more cost saving advantages with regards to merchandise processing fees and deferred duty payments,” said Daniel J. McAuliffe, President of The Allen Group’s Texas operations. A FTZ provides US importers, especially retail distribution operations, with key supply chain cost-savings through consolidated weekly entries to Customs, reduced duty rates via assembly or pick and pack operations, duty deferral and local tax benefits. A FTZ is a specified site designated by the Foreign-Trade Zone Board and with that designation comes major supply chain velocity improvements over normal importing processes. This designation allows foreign items to enter the Zone and defers duty payments until those items leave the Zone and enter the stream of US Commerce. Items can be processed, repackaged and otherwise manipulated within the Zone prior to their entrance into the US consumer market. Items exported to other countries are not charged a duty. “This economic incentive will continue to help with business and job growth throughout South Dallas,” said Maurine Dickey, Dallas County Commissioner. “True to Texas form, the expansion of Zone #39 to include the Dallas Logistics Hub has created one of the largest FTZ projects in the country.” “In addition to excellent transportation infrastructure and supply chain connections throughout North America, the designation of the Dallas Logistics Hub as a FTZ will make it even more attractive to major organizations seeking logistic facilities,” said Curtis Spencer, President of IMS Worldwide. The Dallas Logistics Hub is adjacent to Union Pacific’s Southern Dallas Intermodal Terminal, a proposed BNSF intermodal facility, four major highway connectors (I-20, I-45, I-35 and Loop 9) and Lancaster Airport, which is in the master-planning stage to facilitate air-cargo distribution. The Hub is also a key component of the NAFTA infrastructure and will serve as a major “Inland Port” by receiving products from the Ports of Los Angles, Long Beach, Houston, and the new deep-water ports in western Mexico for regional and national distribution.