Foreign-Trade Zone Overview

The Ports of Indiana also administers Indiana's foreign trade zones. Each port has a general-purpose foreign trade zone, as does the Indianapolis International Airport. In addition, there are seven sub-zones throughout the state. Sub-zones are company- and site-specific zones.

Companies that import goods would be interested in using a foreign trade zone because they can:

• conduct processing and assembly operations while deferring the payment of import duties until the product formally enters U.S. Customs Territory
• combine foreign and domestic components in order to qualify for lower duties
• avoid payment of duties on materials lost in manufacturing
• inspect goods for quality, breakage, and loss before import duties are paid
• exhibit or market goods prior to making duty payments
• schedule customs entries around inventory turnover or sales cycles
• store goods while awaiting a favorable exchange rate.