The Foreign Trade Zones (FTZ) program in Laredo, Texas, continues to be an option for Mexican importers and exporters, allowing them to optimize their cash flow , maintain storage in the United States, and can even be used with products subject to certain quotas.

Federico Schaffler, Laredo’s Foreign Trade Administrator and head of the city’s FTZ, explained that they have experienced strong growth in the first six months of the year , thanks to the strategy of reaching out to Mexican customs agents through their U.S. counterparts.

He explained that one of the benefits provided by the FTZ is that any merchandise that enters the country does not pay tariffs or taxes until it enters the North American market.

“This is a huge advantage for companies because, at a given time, their inventories are already in the United States, and they don’t pay taxes until they make sales, until they enter the market. This represents a huge advantage for importers and exporters, allowing them to make better use of their resources; that is, they don’t need to pay the full price of their exports until they enter the market,” he explained.

He also mentioned that if merchandise from Canada destined for Mexico needs to remain in the United States, it can use the FTZ to avoid paying taxes , meaning it can be used to re-export it to a third country, such as Spain or Italy.

In addition, it allows Mexican exporters to have part of their inventory in the United States, among other advantages .

“Merchandise can be stored indefinitely in the FTZ, while bonded warehouses have a certain temporary nature. To use an FTZ, you need a special number with CBP and within the warehouse area,” he explained.

He specified that there are currently 54 operators in Laredo managing 65 FTZs, and six are awaiting approval, as well as 12 that will be sought to join.

“We’re growing a lot, and it’s important for Mexican and American customs brokers to offer added value to their clients and become more competitive. In the second half of the year, I hope to reach 80 locations and at least 70 operators,” he said.

Regarding the U.S. government’s tariff policy, Schaffler stated that it has sparked interest in FTZs, not only in Laredo but throughout the United States. He said it’s “better to have this program than not to have it,” given the benefits it offers to trade.

“Operating an FTZ will help them at some point control these operations and know when they can ship their merchandise and place it on the North American market, but those are decisions made by the importing and exporting companies,” he emphasized.

He commented that Mexican customs brokers will have support and guidance to operate a foreign trade zone in Laredo, as this will increase their competitiveness as a company and bring economic benefits to their clients.

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Taking into account that the port of Laredo is the largest border crossing for the exchange of goods between Mexico and the United States, the relevance of taking advantage of the Foreign Trade Zones (FTZ), also known as free trade zones, is crucial because they allow the use of procedures special customs duties that benefit trade .

Federico Schaffler, Foreign Trade Administrator of the city of Laredo, Texas, explained to T21 that the FTZ are programs with a long tradition in the northern neighbor that for nearly 100 years have been effective allies in the commercial exchange between Mexico and the United States. Joined.

“The project consists of the activation of spaces within a warehouse, or in the patio of a foreign trade company on the American side, where merchandise that comes from another country, which in the case of Laredo is mostly Mexico, reaches these spaces and do not pay taxes until they enter the United States market, or they can also be goods produced in the United States that are destined for the FTZ to later be exported to another country in the world,” Schaffler indicated.

FTZs offer competitive advantages for a logistics operator such as deferral of payment of tariffs or taxes. Schaffler explained that in these areas products from Mexico that have exceeded export quotas can be stored, “at the time the “ok” for export is given, the product is already in North American territory and can begin marketing. ”.

Another trade facilitation tool that is in operation is the Federal Inspection Station that is currently operating at the Laredo airport, Texas, where the joint review between the National Customs Agency of Mexico ( ANAM ) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of air cargo products that enter eight airports in Mexico: Guadalajara, Toluca, Querétaro, Silao, Ramos Arizpe, Chihuahua, Hermosillo and San Luis Potosí.

These goods come from the aerospace, automotive, electrical, auto parts and electronics industries. “These are products that are already shipped from the United States to these airports and no longer have to go through customs again upon arrival,” explained the Foreign Trade administrator of the city of Laredo, Texas.

Although, to date the project operates in the aforementioned airports, Gilberto Sánchez, director of the Laredo International Airport, commented in an interview with T21 that the future goal is to extend the benefits to more air terminals, for example, the Felipe International Airport Ángeles (AIFA) , whenever the new government takes office on the Mexican side.

Regarding the expansion of industries, this is possible, however, it depends entirely on high-level negotiations between the governments of Mexico and the United States.

For his part, Gilberto Sánchez, commented that with dual customs, cargo that leaves the Laredo airport and is destined for one of the eight authorized airports in Mexico, the goods are automatically released by the Mexican authority.

He said that this facilitation allows waiting times to be released to release loads, going from three days to a few hours.

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