Businesses east of I-75 in Alachua County can now utilize special trade incentives through the Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT).
JAXPORT announced on Wednesday that eastern Alachua County joined Northeast Florida’s Foreign Trade Zone No. 64, allowing saving options for importers. JAXPORT said Alachua County is one of the last areas eligible to join the trade zone under federal guidelines.
The Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) covers nine other counties: Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam and St. Johns.
“We are thrilled to add Eastern Alachua County to our coverage area and look forward to continuing to work with businesses throughout Northeast Florida to take advantage of the efficiencies of our award-winning FTZ,” said Justin Ryan, JAXPORT trade zone manager.
The Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce also announced the expansion, and President Eric Godet said business will be able to reduce production, transaction and logistic-related costs.
“The Greater Gainesville Chamber is excited about the foreign trade zone designation and the opportunity it presents from an economic development standpoint,” Godet said in a press release.
The press release noted that the business can use the benefits on an entire warehouse of goods or just a single room, and companies must apply to begin using the FTZ benefits. The application process takes around 60 days, according to the release.
Find more information on the FTZ webpage of the JAXPORT website.
