U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones: Background and Issues for Congress

Bolle, Mary Jane ; Williams, Brock R.

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service.

关键词: Trade;    Free ports and zones;    Free trade;   

RP-ID  :  R42686
RP-ID  :  R42686_2012Aug28

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

Members of Congress have demonstrated their interest in the U.S. Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) system through hearings and legislation over the past seven decades. The program may enhance the competitiveness of U.S. businesses, support employment opportunities, and impact U.S. tariff revenues. Balancing these potential gains, others argue that the program may also be trade distorting, and may play a role in misallocating resources in the economy as a whole. This report provides a general perspective on the U.S. FTZ system. It is divided into three parts. As background, the first section discusses free trade zones worldwide. The second section focuses on the U.S. FTZ program—its history, administrative mechanism, structure, growth and industry concentration, and benefits and costs. The third section focuses on current issues for Congress relating to the U.S. FTZ program.