A free-trade zone (FTZ) is a geographic area where goods can be received and held while they are tested or changes are made to it before it leaves. This means you can have a temporary import shipped into an FTZ to try and avoid customs duties before it leaves the country. Or you can bring something in and have customs charges deferred until a later time when they leave the FTZ and legally “enter” the United States.
A detailed explanation and an FAQ on an FTZ, how they are handled and how they are set up (including a video that gives the fundamentals of an FTZ) can be found here. Any approvals or work that need to be done with the FTZ Board or CBP will need to be done by you prior to importing any items into an FTZ. We can help our customers with the shipments once those are ready to take place.
To be able to ship into an FTZ, the Importer of Record will need to have their own Surety Bond. Preferred Shipping can work with our customers to get you set up with a Customer Master File with your Surety Bond and Tax ID information on file with DHL to help with this.
When you have an import coming into an FTZ, you will need to email DHL at cvgcontroltower@dhl.com and CVG.GTWDocumentControl@DHL.com to provide them with a notice of import and have them provide you in return with the Customs Entry Number. When you get it, contact Preferred Shipping at customerservice@preferredship.com with the Customs Entry Number and we can work with DHL to make sure it enters properly. If you are not a customer of Preferred Shipping, you will need to work with DHL directly or with the carrier you are using to import the shipment.
Importing into an FTZ is different from a Temporary Importation Under Bond (TIB). Here is a link to our article about doing a TIB shipment with DHL.
