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U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones
Encouraging activity and investment in the U.S.
Foreign-Trade Zones 101

How to Apply

How to Apply

To prepare any request to the FTZ Board, use the formats provided on this website.

 Overview of Procedures to Establish or Modify FTZ Sites [1,038KB]

Note: If you are a company that wishes to conduct production activity under FTZ procedures, you will need both FTZ designation of your facility (generally subzone or usage-driven site) as well as production authority. Please see the FTZ Production Center for more information on what constitutes “production”.

All requests (and related communications) to the FTZ Board should come from - or be copied (CC’d) to - the zone’s grantee. The FTZ Staff is unable to review such documents unless the grantee has been included in the communication.

Application documents should be sent to: ftz@trade.gov

The application letter should be addressed to: Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Ave., NW, Room 21013, Washington, DC 20230

ASF Minor Boundary Modifications
Using the format below, you can designate one or more sites as a subzone or a usage-driven site under the ASF.
ASF MBM Application
Subzones (non-ASF)
Use this application to request new or expanded FTZ designation for a company under the TSF or outside of an ASF service area.

Subzone (non-ASF) Application
Production Notifications
To request FTZ "production" authority use the format below
Production Notification Format
Production Applications
If all or part of your production notification was not authorized, used the production application format below to request further review from the FTZ Board.
Production Application
ASF Reorganizations
Use the format below to reorganize a zone under the ASF (or expand an existing ASF service area):
ASF Reorganization Application
Minor Boundary Modifications (non-ASF)
Use the format below to make a minor modification to a zone site or subzone (non-ASF) by swapping acreage:
Non-ASF MBM Application
Expansions of Existing FTZs (non-ASF)
To expand or reorganize a zone (non-ASF), use this format.
Non-ASF Expansion Application
Waiver request under the uniform treatment provision of the FTZ Regulations
Use this format to request a waiver under 15 CFR 400.43(f).
Waiver Request
New Zones
To apply for a new zone (grantee), use the link below
New Zone Applications

Reference Information

Guidance on Providing Local Public Notice
Guidance on Providing Local Public Notice
Adjacency Requirements
Adjacency Requirements
Application Process Summary
Application Process Summary
Processing Times
Case Processing Times
Checking the Status of a Request
Check Case Status
What to do While an Application is Being Reviewed
While an Application is Being Reviewed

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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