Can you believe we are more than a quarter of the way through 2024 already?  2024 has been very busy for NAFTZ and here are a couple of highlights to let you know about.

Membership:

Given you are reading this article, it is highly likely that you were one of the 700+ members to renew your membership by the end of our annual renewal grace period.  THANK YOU!

I’m very excited about this because when you look back since 2016 (the years we have reliable historical information for), this is by-far our best renewal count!  At the time of this writing, we’re still on the road to a new membership record this year of 816 members.  Our membership team continues to work hard to reach this goal.  To help us reach this goal in 2024, we will be announcing a new member campaign in the coming weeks where you can earn rewards for helping us recruit!  Keep an eye on your inbox for details coming soon.

2023-2024 Mentorship Program:

The NAFTZ membership committee worked hard to revamp our mentorship program in 2022, and I’m very happy to report that our second cohort of mentors and mentees are wrapping up the formal 6 months of their experience together.  I say wrapping up the formal part of their experience, as this program is the basis of a long-lasting relationship after the program is over.  Pairing up members with similar responsibilities, providing participants with support and materials to aid them through their journey.  Our next cycle will begin this fall – please consider being a mentor or mentee! 

Next up:  Spring Seminar 2024 in Long Beach, California:

We’re only days away from our next major event – and this year’s Spring Seminar promises not to disappoint.  The NAFTZ Program Committee has been working for months to create a high-quality, informative and essential program.  Here’s a quick look at most of the topics that will be covered:

• FTZ Program Updates from CBP
• Port Challenges
• Running a 3PL
• CBP Facilities
• Top 10 Compliance Issues
• Operator/User Roundtable
• How Government Agencies Impact FTZs
• Grantee Marketing to Potential Users
• ASF/TSF
• Grantee Roundtable
• Fundamentals of FTZs
• Port Tour
• FTZ Board Update
• Advocacy & Public Policy Update Forced Labor
• Spotlight on Activation
• Navigating the CBP Relationship
• Best Practices/Optimization
• ACE Reports

All of this great information is critical – but just as important is the opportunity to build your personal network of FTZ professionals.  NAFTZ in-person events are your best opportunity to meet others that know and understand the challenges and rewards of FTZs.  You can also meet, hear from and talk with officials from CBP, the Foreign-Trade Zone Board and others. 

For complete details and to register, visit https://members.naftz.org/eventcalendar/Details/2024-naftz-spring-seminar-may-5-7-877312

Looking forward to seeing many of you at Spring Seminar!

By: 

Jeff Tafel
NAFTZ President