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U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones: Background and Issues for Congress
Contents
Introduction.............................................................................................. 1
Background on Free Trade Zones......................................................................... 1
Free Trade Zones Around the World................................................................. 1
Similarities and Differences Among Free Trade Zones Worldwide............................... 3
Growth of Free Trade Zones Worldwide ............................................................ 4
The U. S. Foreign-Trade Zone Program.................................................................. 6
History .............................................................................................. 6
The FTZ System Today............................................................................... 7
Growth in FTZ Usage and Industry Concentration................................................. 8
Overall Economic Benefits and Costs of FTZs.................................................... 10
Business Benefits and Costs of FTZ Status........................................................ 11
Benefits........................................................................................... 11
Costs ........................................................................................... 13
The Administrative Mechanism Behind FTZs .................................................... 13
Application for FTZ Status.......................................................................... 14
Current FTZ and Worldwide Zone-Related Issues for Congress ..................................... 16
Do U. S. FTZs Encourage a Misallocation of U. S. Resources?9.................................. 16
Data Availability Issues Relating to FTZs ......................................................... 17
Security Issues Relating to FTZs ................................................................... 19
U. S. Employment and Global Competitiveness Impact of FTZs ................................ 20
Effectiveness of World Trade Zones as a Tool for Economic Development................... 21
Trade Zones Worldwide and Worker Rights ....................................................... 22
Outlook: Future of U. S. FTZs and Zones Worldwide?................................................ 23
Figures
Figure 1. World Geographic Distribution of Employment in Free Trade Zones, 2006 ............. 3
Figure 2. Elements of Modern Trade Zones............................................................. 4
Figure 3. Growth of the World Free Trade Zone System: 1959-2006................................. 5
Figure 4. U. S. Foreign-Trade Zones, by State........................................................... 7
Figure 5. FTZ Input: Foreign and Domestic Components, and Employment Levels, 1993-
2010 ................................................................................................... 9
Figure 6. FTZ Output: Shipment to the U.S. Market, and Exports, 1993-20 10 .................... 9
Figure 7. FTZ Foreign Input Shares, 2011.............................................................. 10
Figure 8. FTZ Foreign Input Levels, 1993 & 2011.................................................... 10
Tables
Table 1. FTZ and Census Data Reported on Merchandise Entering or Leaving FTZs ............ 18
Table A-i. U. S. FTZ Activity by Zone Type, 2010 .................................................... 25Congressional Research Service
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Bolle, Mary Jane & Williams, Brock R. U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones: Background and Issues for Congress, report, August 28, 2012; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc822670/m1/4/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.