Grocery and retail products distributor Massy Distribution joins JAXPORT’s Foreign Trade Zone

The Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) announced today that grocery and retail products distributor Massy Distribution USA has joined Northeast Florida’s Foreign Trade Zone No. 64. An FTZ is a federally designated area providing cost-saving options for importers.

Miami-based Massy Distribution operates a 170,000-square-foot facility near JAXPORT that provides logistics services and retail distribution for consumer products and grocery items in the U.S. and Caribbean. The company uses JAXPORT to import and export containerized cargo, including refrigerated goods, bound for the Caribbean.

By activating its facility in the FTZ, Massy Distribution’s existing Jacksonville warehouse is eligible for FTZ benefits, including the ability to defer, reduce, or eliminate U.S. Customs duties on goods imported into the U.S.

“We are pleased to continue to grow our partnership with Massy Distribution by welcoming them into FTZ No. 64,” said JAXPORT Chief Commercial Officer Robert Peek. “Activating in the FTZ allows the company to streamline transportation and logistics costs while taking advantage of Jacksonville’s enhanced connectivity to Caribbean markets.”

Foreign Trade Zones are areas considered outside of U.S. Customs territory for duty purposes. Administered under the supervision of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), FTZ No. 64 operates under the Alternative Site Framework (ASF), which allows warehouses, distribution centers and manufacturers within the service area to utilize FTZ benefits while operating in their existing facilities. For example, an FTZ can be as small as a single room within a building or as large as a warehouse or entire manufacturing plant.

“The U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones program promotes economic growth and development throughout the U.S.,” said JAXPORT FTZ Manager Justin Ryan. “The FTZ is designed to help companies like Massy Distribution expand their business and support local jobs.”

JAXPORT’s FTZ No. 64 encompasses ten counties in Northeast Florida: Eastern Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam and St. Johns counties. Any company within this service area that wants to take advantage of FTZ benefits must apply through JAXPORT and receive approval from the federal FTZ Board. The entire application and approval process typically takes less than 60 days.