Logistics Plus partners to create Foreign Trade Zone in PA

Since 1934, and all across America, U.S. Foreign Trade Zones have proven to be enormously successful examples of 'public-private partnerships'; wherein regionally-focused public agencies support and coordinate their efforts with businesses to foster opportunities to increase job creation, expand capital investment, and expedite economic development by facilitating global trade.

The new general purpose ERI Foreign Trade Zone (ERI FTZ) warehousing and distribution facility is located on Tom Ridge Field at Erie International Airport (ERI); and was accomplished in close cooperation with ERI, and the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority (Port Erie), the Grantee of Foreign Trade Zone #247.

To introduce and celebrate the launch of the activated ERI FTZ, there will be a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3837 West 20th Street (the former Penn-Brass building) in Erie, PA on October, 22nd, at 3:30 pm.  Immediately following the ceremony, Logistics Plus will host an informational reception at The Brewerie at Union Station, located directly below its 1406 Peach Street global headquarters.  Leaders from regional businesses that already are, or intend to be, actively involved in world trade, are invited to attend.

Port Erie and ERI filed applications and received grants of authority for Foreign Trade Zone status from the U.S. Foreign Trade Zones Board in Washington.  Under a contractual agreement with ERI, Logistics Plus filed and secured activated status for the site from Customs & Border Protection (CBP) and will operate FTZ warehousing and distribution facilities on the airport property.

"We're very excited about this new partnership with Erie International Airport and Port Erie, and the long-term economic development prospects it provides to the Erie area," said Jim Berlin, founder and CEO of Logistics Plus. "Erie International Airport has a great location and facility, while Logistics Plus has the knowledge, experience, equipment, software, and expertise to make this FTZ partnership very successful."

Thousands of U.S. businesses have discovered that Foreign Trade Zone utilization can prove to be an incredibly effective tool to help develop new markets while systemically increasing profitability from both their existing operations and international trade relationships. CBP has declared FTZs to be the best practice for compliant management of global supply chains, coordinated logistics, and integrated manufacturing operations. FTZs enable importers and exporters to consistently benefit from this CBP-privileged status; offering duty savings, reduced transportation and insurance costs, and the flexibility to do in America, what is too often done off-shore.  This includes packaging, kits, labeling, sorting, assembling, processing or manufacturing.  If the finished products are exported from an FTZ, the original Customs duties are reduced ($79B in CY 2013).