Congress may have spent much of August and September away from Washington, but NAFTZ advocacy continued throughout the recess. We used that time to keep several U.S. FTZ priorities moving, continue outreach to congressional offices, and prepare for a busy final stretch of the 119th Congress.

One important step forward is the formal launch of the bipartisan U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones Caucus, led by Representatives Aaron Bean (R-FL-4) and Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10). NAFTZ is working with the co-chairs and congressional offices to build participation in the Caucus, which is intended to provide Members and staff with a better understanding of the U.S. FTZ program and the policy issues affecting U.S. FTZ users and communities.

At the same time, NAFTZ is preparing for a focused year-end effort on the Foreign-Trade Zone Export Enhancement Act, introduced as H.R. 6792 in the House and S. 4793 in the Senate. During the congressional recess, NAFTZ continued virtual meetings with priority House offices to build awareness and support for the legislation. Those meetings have already produced results, with three Representatives subsequently signing on as cosponsors of H.R. 6792. As of our September 15th, the House bill had nine sponsors and cosponsors, while the Senate bill had five.

The legislation addresses the treatment of U.S. FTZ manufacturers exporting qualifying finished goods to Canada and Mexico under USMCA. NAFTZ has supported the effort as a way to address a longstanding competitive disadvantage affecting U.S. FTZ manufacturers.

With limited legislative time remaining this year, our priority is to continue broadening support and position the legislation for possible action during the post-election lame-duck session. Passage before the end of the current Congress would avoid the need to begin again with reintroduction in the next Congress. If action does carry into the next Congress, the bipartisan support being built now will still provide an important foundation for reintroduction and continued advocacy.

NAFTZ has also remained active on several other policy priorities, including U.S. FTZ production-authority decision timelines, dedicated CBP resources for U.S. FTZ operations, and efforts supporting a U.S. International Trade Commission study related to privileged-foreign-status requirements.

As Congress returns and the calendar tightens, our advocacy work is moving from recess outreach into a more concentrated fall effort. The coming weeks will be focused on building congressional support, advancing U.S. FTZ priorities, and making the most of the remaining opportunities in this Congress.