Happy New Year! We hope everyone had a chance to decompress and relax a little bit during the end of year and we are wishing everyone good health and happiness in the coming year!

The end of the year brings about not only a time of reflection, but also a time to look ahead. Reflectively, the NAFTZ internal team, your Executive Committee and your Board of Directors have been working hard to take the Association to the next level in presenting issues of importance to our membership to the governmental authorities that regulate the FTZ Program which is so critical to the U.S. economy. Our Association is unique as our membership consists of stakeholders across a myriad of industries, public and quasi-public agencies, economic development entities & logistics and other service providers and we take the time to say THANK YOU and let you know how much we appreciate each one of you and your engagement.

Looking ahead, we are kicking off the year with a jam-packed agenda building off of the momentum the Association created this past year. With membership at near record level, strong participation and feedback on our educational offerings and expanded advocacy efforts as most recently reflected in our very effective December Virtual Fly-Ins, NAFTZ is well positioned heading into 2024. Special shout out to Melissa Irmen, Jeff Tafel and Ben Odendahl as well as all of the NAFTZ members who participated for their hard work and coordination in making those efforts such a success. Well done!

Of course, no New Year would be complete without some resolutions. So what does the NAFTZ resolve?

Continue to Implement the NAFTZ 5 Year Advocacy Vision – If you have not had a chance to visit the NAFTZ website recently, we encourage you to do so! There is a wealth of information on the current policy agenda and the hot button issues that we are working on. Advocacy is defined in many ways and so is engagement. We will “meet you where you are” as there is always an opportunity for you to provide input and be heard no matter what your role is in your organization.

Stepping Outside of the Box – The NAFTZ has a great team in place that is continuously developing new tools and ideas to give our membership the best experience possible. This extends to things like member services, website and educational content and conference structures. A great example is our upcoming Fundamentals Program and Legislative Summit which are being co-located for the first time in our home base of Washington, DC at the end of February. This is an excellent opportunity for those new to the program attending Fundamentals to meet seasoned members as well as members of the EC and Board at a joint reception while also giving those individuals an opportunity to get their feet wet by participating in Congressional visits.

Legislative Summit Focus – Speaking of the Legislative Summit, Let Your Impact Be Felt in Washington on February 27/28^th. The Summit has been moved a bit later on the calendar to better align schedules for members of the Association, Congress and Regulators. Victoria and the team are preparing as we speak and we look forward to participation not only from CBP Headquarters and the Foreign-Trade Zones Board, but also the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the NAFTZ’s new Government Affairs advisors and more. This is an excellent opportunity to gain insight into policy developments, the geopolitical landscape and other issues affecting trade and the supply chain. It is also an opportunity to engage with Congressional offices. If your organization has a Government Affairs office or individual, bring them along. If you do not, then this is the opportunity to learn and take information back to your organizations. See you there!

Strengthening Education through the CZS Program – Knowledge is key and the NAFTZ has partnered with the NCBFAA National Education Institute (NEI) to create the Certified Zone Specialist (CZS) knowledge certification on the foreign-trade zone industry. This on-line training program provides a solid foundation and also serves as a stepping stone for the NAFTZ Accredited Zone Specialist Designation. This is another great way to distinguish yourself in the trade. Reach out to the NAFTZ Team for further information.

I am looking forward to a great year ahead with all of you. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to reach out to me or anyone on the NAFTZ team.

By: 

Shannon Fura, Page Fura, P.C.
NAFTZ Chair