A Foreign Trade Zone, sometimes called a Free Zone or Free Port, is a safe area where goods can be landed, stored, processed, and transshipped, all without incurring custom duties (import tax).

Foreign Trade Zones can provide customers with manufacturing, assembling, packaging, and display facilities, all free of duties.  They are considered outside the customs territory of the United States in reference to many factors relating to international trade.

Basically, a Foreign Trade Zone encourages and facilitates international commerce.

The Foreign Trade Zone recently acquired sub-zone status for Nissan.  

How You Benefit

Imports may be landed and stored quickly and for an indefinite period without full Customs formalities and quota restrictions.  Plus, duties are not applicable in the zone.

Duty is not paid until goods leave the zone.  If imported goods are then shipped out of the United Sates, duty payments are not required at all.  And merchandise may be withdrawn partially or in less-than-case-lots.

Goods may be insured while in storage for their value alone, plus ocean freight costs without additional coverage to include taxes and duties. Goods may be processed or manufactured in a Foreign Trade Zone to qualify for lower no no-duty status.

Custom duty may be avoided on faulty materials or goods.

Goods in excess of quota may be held in the Zone until the next quota period.

Certain bonded merchandise may be transferred to the Zone for export, canceling the bond or time limit applicable to bonded warehouse, and making possible immediately recovery of taxes already paid.

Taxes on whiskey, wines, and other liquors held for re-export are not applicable while they are in the Zone. Such materials, once placed in a Zone, are deemed "exported."

Indefinite storage in a Zone may be undertaken to await more favorable market conditions.

Currently, Mississippi's sub-zones are operated through the Greater Mississippi Foreign-Trade Zone.  Any company in any part of the state with significant quantities of imports and exports may apply for sub-zone status.

The name of the FTZ is the Greater Mississippi Foreign-Trade Zone, Inc. No. 158, P. O. Box 820363, Vicksburg, MS 39182 or 1900 Cherry Street, Vicksburg, MS 39180. The Board of Directors for the FTZ is made up of five (5) resident members from Warren County appointed by the Warren County Board of Supervisors; five (5) resident members from Jackson, Mississippi appointed by the Mayor of Jackson with confirmation from the Jackson City Council; five (5) resident members from Lee County appointed by the Lee County Board of Supervisors; a member appointed by the Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director; the Executive Director of the Vicksburg Port Commission; the Executive Director of the Jackson-Evers Municipal Airport and the President of the Community Development Foundation.