Everything you need to know about Foreign Trade Zones, CEI's services, and how to get started. Don't see your question? Contact us directly.
A Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) is a federally designated, secure area within the United States where commercial merchandise — both foreign and domestic — receives the same Customs treatment it would if it were outside U.S. commerce. FTZs are authorized by the Foreign-Trade Zones Board and supervised by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Goods can be stored, manipulated, exhibited, or used in manufacturing operations within a FTZ — with duties and most federal excise taxes assessed only when those goods formally enter U.S. commerce.
A standard warehouse simply stores goods — duties are owed the moment those goods are imported into the U.S. CEI's FTZ is a CBP-designated zone where those rules are suspended. Goods can remain in the FTZ without paying duties, be manipulated or repacked, and either enter U.S. commerce (at which point duty is assessed) or be exported entirely — in which case no U.S. duty is ever owed. Additionally, CEI's weekly entry privilege consolidates all shipments into one CBP filing per week, dramatically reducing per-shipment processing fees.
Most types of commercial merchandise can be admitted to a FTZ, including consumer goods, raw materials, components, semi-finished goods, and finished products. Certain restricted or prohibited goods (such as weapons, narcotics, or items subject to CBP quota restrictions) require special authorization or may not be admitted. CEI's FTZ team can advise on whether your specific commodity type is eligible. Perishables and hazardous materials may also be accommodated depending on facility capabilities — contact us to discuss your specific cargo.
When goods are admitted to a FTZ, they are considered to be outside U.S. Customs territory — so no duty is assessed at the point of admission. Duty only becomes payable when you choose to "activate" or "enter" the goods for consumption in the U.S. market (i.e., when they formally enter U.S. commerce). Until that point, your capital isn't tied up in duty payments. This can significantly improve cash flow for importers who hold inventory before selling it — you pay duty only when the sale happens or the goods ship to a U.S. customer.
Yes — manipulation and manufacturing are among the most powerful FTZ privileges. Within CEI's FTZ, you can repack, relabel, sort, grade, clean, test, inspect, repair, or assemble goods before duties are assessed. This means you can add value to your products while they're in the zone — and only pay duties on the final, modified product. For manufacturers importing components with a higher tariff rate than the finished good, this "inverted tariff" relief can result in substantial savings. Contact CEI to discuss specific manipulation or light manufacturing operations.
CBP Form 7512 is the Transportation Entry and Manifest of Goods Subject to CBP Inspection and Permit. It is used when in-bond merchandise needs to be transported from one CBP location to another — such as from a port of entry to an inland FTZ or bonded warehouse, or from a FTZ to an export destination. CEI has the capability to issue Form 7512 in-house for goods distributed to local addresses in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. This is particularly relevant when your cargo requires export documentation or needs to move under CBP bond between locations.
A Container Freight Station (CFS) is a CBP-approved facility that handles the consolidation and deconsolidation of international cargo — specifically less-than-container-load (LCL) shipments. At a CFS, multiple shippers' goods can be loaded into one container (consolidation) or a container can be broken down and individual shipments separated out (deconsolidation). CEI holds dual CFS designations: N538 (for inbound/import cargo) and M-358 (for outbound/export cargo). These designations authorize CEI to receive and process international air and ocean cargo under CBP supervision.
CEI is an authorized airline cargo trucking vendor for Southwest Airlines, Delta Airlines, and American Airlines. As a TSA-certified Indirect Air Carrier, CEI meets all security requirements for handling cargo destined for or originating from commercial airline flights. All drivers handling airline cargo are TSA or TWIC authorized. CEI provides reliable, on-time ground transportation between airline cargo facilities and CEI's warehouse or customer locations throughout South Florida.
CEI's local distribution network runs twice weekly, covering Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. Distribution routes extend from southern Miami-Dade to northern Palm Beach County. Contact CEI's transportation team for specific run days, pickup cutoff times, and whether your delivery address falls within the standard route or requires a dedicated run. For time-sensitive deliveries outside the standard schedule, CEI can arrange dedicated transportation.
Getting started is straightforward. Use the Quote Request form on our Contact page, call us at (305) 000-0000 (Mon–Sat, 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM), or send us a WhatsApp message. A CEI representative will contact you to discuss your specific needs — cargo type, volume, service requirements, and timeline. We'll put together a customized proposal and walk you through the onboarding process. CEI has been helping new clients get set up for over 40 years, and we make it as simple as possible.
Still have questions? Our team is available Mon–Sat, 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM.