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U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones
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Foreign-Trade Zones 101

FTZ Case Processing Times

FTZ Application/Notification Processing Times

Note: The time frames cited here are from the date when the FTZ Board officially dockets the application. Any time spent requesting from the applicant (or awaiting) additional information needed for the application to meet the docketing standard inherently does not fall within the time frames discussed here.

The specific time frames applicable to various application types are as follows:

Production Notifications

A decision on a notification of proposed production activity will be made within 120 days from receipt of the completed notification. At the end of the 120-day period, the applicant will be notified if the activity has been authorized.

Production Applications

Production applications are only submitted if the FTZ Board determines during the standard notification process that the more extensive application process is warranted based on issues or concerns that arise. The FTZ Board’s regulations delineate a general time frame of 12 months to process a production application. The specific processing time for a given application will depend on a range of factors, including whether a public hearing or industry survey is conducted and any specific industry or policy issues that arise during the processing of the case.

Expansions/Reorganizations (Traditional Site Framework) and New Zones

The FTZ Board’s regulations delineate an ordinary time frame of 10 months to process an application for a new zone or an expansion of an existing zone.

Alternative Site Framework Reorganizations

The FTZ Board’s regulations delineate an ordinary time frame of 7.5 months to process a reorganization of an existing zone under the alternative site framework (ASF).

Subzones

For any subzone that the applicant proposes to be subject to the overall zone’s existing activation limit, the processing time will be 3 months from docketing. Other applications for subzone status will be processed in 5 months from docketing The applicant will be notified of the decision on the application at the end of the 3-month (or 5-month) period.

Note: For any production activity intended to be conducted at a subzone, a notification of proposed production activity would need to be submitted separately.

Minor Boundary Modifications (including ASF)

Processing of a minor boundary modification (MBM) request does not begin until we have received a complete request. In order to be considered complete, the incoming request must include all required elements: the grantee’s letter, responsive answers to all of the questions in the standard request format, all needed attachments (including proper map(s)). The FTZ Board’s regulations delineate an ordinary 30-day processing time for complete MBM requests.

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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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