FTZ vs Bonded Warehouse: More Flexibility with FTZ
Simple pallet storage, inventory held while you arrange sales, and releases as customers order — all available at Distrubi's Laredo FTZ. Get duty deferral with no FTZ storage time limit, plus options for repacking, kitting, and distribution.
General information, not customs advice — rules vary by product and change often. Have a customs broker confirm the specifics for your case.
Everyday storage. Added FTZ benefits.
Our FTZ covers the everyday storage needs customers look for in a bonded warehouse: hold inventory, defer import duties, and release goods when needed. You can start with storage alone and add services as your business grows.
Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ)
A designated US facility where imported goods can be stored with duties deferred until they enter US commerce. Our Laredo FTZ supports straightforward storage and distribution, with added flexibility for authorized value-added services.
Learn about our FTZBonded Warehouse
A customs-authorized warehouse for imported goods, generally with a 5-year storage period. Duties are deferred until goods enter US commerce. FTZ storage provides this core duty-deferral benefit too, without the same storage time limit.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Both support storage and duty deferral. FTZ adds flexibility in how long you hold inventory and what you can do with it.
Everyday Storage in Our FTZ
- Simple pallet storage, including smaller or occasional shipments
- Temporary storage while you arrange sales or delivery
- Safety stock held close to your US customers
- Partial releases as orders come in
- Inventory for US distribution or re-export
Added Flexibility with FTZ
- No FTZ storage time limit, whether you need weeks or years
- Domestic and foreign merchandise can share the same FTZ facility
- Add labeling, repacking, or kitting as your needs grow
- Approved production can offer additional savings for eligible goods
Common Questions
Yes. Simple pallet storage is part of our FTZ service, including temporary inventory, safety stock, and smaller or occasional shipments. Store your goods and release them as needed. Manufacturing, high shipment volumes, and long storage periods are not prerequisites for using an FTZ.
Our FTZ works for US distribution too. Imported inventory can stay in the zone with duties deferred until it enters US commerce. Release the quantities your customers need and keep the rest in storage.
FTZs have no storage time limit. Bonded warehouses generally allow up to 5 years from importation, unless CBP grants an extension. Our FTZ supports short-term storage as well as inventory you need to hold longer.
Five things: product dimensions and pallet specs (and whether pallets stack), pallets per month plus any starting safety stock, number of SKUs, country of origin (domestic vs. foreign material decides which zone services apply), and where releases go — your customer's dock, their forwarder, or local delivery.
Yes — that's the core of the operation. Your full inbound stays in storage and we release pallet by pallet (or truckload by truckload) as orders come in, with the paperwork handled on each release.
Days, not months. Once the POA (power of attorney) is signed we set you up in our system, send shipping instructions for your supplier and carrier, and you can route the first shipment.
Inbound: a commercial invoice and packing list — we handle the zone admission. Outbound: we prepare the release and coordinate the paperwork with your customer or their broker.
No. You use Distrubi's existing Laredo FTZ. We handle zone admissions and inventory control, and coordinate release paperwork with you or your customs broker. Send us your product details, storage volume, and delivery needs so we can quote your operation.
Simple Storage. More Possibilities.
Store your inventory at Distrubi's Laredo FTZ and release it as your customers need it. Send us your product details, pallet counts, and delivery needs for a storage and distribution quote.