National Association Of Foreign

PROMOTE AND IMPROVE FOREIGN TRADE ZONES TO FOSTER BUSINESS GROWTH AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

ADVOCACY FOR THE U.S. FOREIGN-TRADE ZONES PROGRAM, FTZ USERS, FTZ OPERATORS, FTZ GRANTEES, AND THE NEAR 500,000 U.S. JOBS WITHIN FTZS: ONE OF NAFTZ'S MOST IMPORTANT ROLES IS ENSURING THE UNIQUE INTERESTS OF THE FOREIGN-TRADE ZONE COMMUNITY ARE EFFECTIVELY REPRESENTED, RECOGNIZED, AND ADVANCED IN WASHINGTON. WE ADVOCATE FOR THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE POLICIES AND REGULATIONS TO ACHIEVE MAXIMUM SIMPLICITY AND EFFECTIVENESS FOR THE FTZ COMMUNITY. THE NAFTZ WORKS TO ENSURE CONGRESSIONAL DECISION-MAKERS AND GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANT LOCAL AND NATIONAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF AMERICA'S FOREIGN-TRADE ZONES. NAFTZ'S DIVERSE MEMBERSHIP CONTRIBUTES SIGNIFICANT EXPERTISE AND INFORMED PERSPECTIVES TO MAJOR POLICY DISCUSSIONS IN WASHINGTON. NAFTZ CONTINUOUSLY MONITORS AND NAVIGATES THE CONSTANTLY CHANGING NATURE OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE. NAFTZ HOSTS AN ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT IN WASHINGTON DC INVITING FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, POLICY MAKERS, AND INDUSTRY LEADERS FOR LEGISLATIVE BRIEFINGS, DISCUSSIONS ON VARIOUS CURRENT ADVOCACY TOPICS AND RELATED AND EMERGING ISSUES.

CONFERENCES, SEMINARS, AND NETWORKING: NAFTZ OFFERS MEMBERS AND NON-MEMBERS ALIKE TWO ANNUAL EVENTS FEATURING SPEAKERS, PANELISTS, AND SPECIALIZED SESSIONS RELEVANT TO OPERATOR/USERS, GRANTEES, CONSULTANTS, OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND THOSE NEW TO THE INDUSTRY. TOPICS ARE UPDATED AND SELECTED EACH YEAR TO ADDRESS CURRENT ISSUES AND TRENDS IN THE FTZ COMMUNITY. PARTICIPANTS CAN HEAR FROM - AND INTERACT WITH - GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND INDUSTRY EXPERTS. THESE EVENTS ARE WHERE MEMBERS CONNECT AND BUILD THEIR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS TO SUPPORT THEIR FTZ ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WITH HUNDREDS OF ATTENDEES AT EACH EVENT.

EDUCATION, CREDENTIALS, AND PUBLICATIONS: NAFTZ HAS BEEN PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS IN SUPPORT OF OUR OVERARCHING MISSION TO SERVE AS THE FTZ PROGRAM'S PRINCIPAL EDUCATOR. NAFTZ'S "FUNDAMENTALS OF FTZS" IS ONE OF THE ASSOCIATION'S MOST POPULAR OFFERINGS AND IS A TRAINING STAPLE FOR MANY FTZ USER/OPERATORS ADDING NEW STAFF TO THEIR FTZ FUNCTION. NAFTZ'S ACCREDITED ZONE SPECIALIST (AZS) DESIGNATION, A NEW ON-LINE ENTRY LEVEL CREDENTIAL (CERTIFIED ZONE SPECIALIST) LAUNCHES FALL 2023. NAFTZ HAS ALSO RE-IMAGINED THE ASSOCIATION'S FORMAL MENTORSHIP PROGRAM IN 2022. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES WAYS FOR THOSE IN THE FTZ COMMUNITY TO GROW, LEARN, AND DEVELOP SKILLS WHILE ESTABLISHING LASTING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN EXPERIENCED AND NEWER PRACTIONERS IN THE FTZ COMMUNITY.