It is difficult to overstate how much changed over the course of this year. From the moment a new administration took office on Inauguration Day, the global trade environment shifted in ways few could have predicted. Tariffs were announced, paused, reinterpreted, and expanded. Long-standing assumptions about supply chains, trade remedies, and operational certainty were tested—sometimes weekly, sometimes daily. For those working in and around the U.S. Foreign-Trade Zone program, this was not an abstract policy exercise; it was operational reality.

And yet, in the midst of this turbulence, NAFTZ did more than react. We engaged. We organized. We showed up.

Throughout the year, the association leaned into its role as both advocate and convener. Our Trade & Tariff Rapid Response Team, advocacy working groups, and committees worked at an extraordinary pace to interpret developments, engage agencies, brief Congressional offices, and—just as importantly—support one another. Education and events evolved in real time to meet members where they were, whether through record-setting in-person attendance, expanded virtual programming, or timely webinars addressing immediate operational questions.

None of this happened by accident. It happened because of leadership, commitment, and an engaged membership that refused to sit on the sidelines.

Gratitude for Board Leadership and Service

This year also marked important transitions in NAFTZ volunteer leadership. I want to offer sincere thanks to every member of the Board of Directors who served during this demanding period, and to recognize those whose service concluded or began in 2025.

Our Executive Committee provided steady guidance through moments of real uncertainty, helping the association balance urgency with long-term strategy. I want to thank them for their time and leadership during a year that required clarity – for their resilience and no small amount of patience.

To those Board members who completed their terms in 2025: thank you for leaving the association stronger, more visible, and better prepared for what comes next. To those beginning service: you are stepping into an organization that is engaged, growing, and ready to keep pushing forward—and we are fortunate to have you.

Record Membership, Driven by Engagement

One of the most telling indicators of this year’s success is not found in an advocacy effort or program launch, but in our community itself. NAFTZ ends 2025 with 950 members—an all-time high.

That milestone matters not just because of the number, but because of what it represents. Every one of our 950 members contributed to this moment by renewing, joining, volunteering, sponsoring, speaking, mentoring, asking questions, sharing experiences, and engaging with the association when it mattered most. Growth of this kind does not happen in quiet years; it happens when an organization proves its relevance in challenging ones.

Appreciation for Our Sponsors and Partners

Our work this year was also made possible by the generous support of our sponsors and partners. Their investment allowed NAFTZ to deliver high-quality events, expand educational offerings, strengthen advocacy, and create spaces—both formal and informal—where the FTZ community could connect and learn from one another. We are deeply grateful for their continued commitment to the association and to the FTZ program as a whole.

Looking Ahead

As we move into the final stretch of the year, it is clear that the trade environment will remain complex and, at times, unpredictable. NAFTZ stands ready to continue to face whatever comes next with deeper engagement, stronger infrastructure, and a clearer understanding of where our voice matters most.

The work ahead will continue to demand focus: sustained advocacy on tariff impacts and FTZ parity, expanded education and data-driven insights, and greater coordination across our committees, task forces, and working groups. We will also build on the momentum of this year by strengthening how we tell the FTZ story—locally and nationally—so policymakers, partners, and communities better understand the real-world value of the program.

Most importantly, we will continue to invest in the people who make this association work. Member engagement, leadership development, and collaboration across roles and regions are not side initiatives; they are core to our success. The challenges facing trade and manufacturing will not be solved in isolation, and NAFTZ’s greatest strength remains its ability to bring knowledgeable professionals together at exactly the moments when connection matters most.

This past year tested our adaptability. The year ahead will reward our efforts. NAFTZ is well positioned not just to respond to change—but to help shape what comes next.

Wishing you all happiness, wellness, and prosperity in 2026.  I look forward to continuing our journey together.