Fullen Dock Gets Foreign-Trade Zone Designation

Fullen Dock & Warehouse, a full-service river terminal located at Mile 740 on the Mississippi River at Memphis, Tenn., announced March 26 that it has been designated as a Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ). FTZs are secure areas under U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) supervision that are generally considered outside CBP territory upon activation.

“An FTZ designation provides a competitive edge to Fullen Dock, our customers and the city of Memphis,” said Lanny Chalk, terminal manager at Fullen Dock & Warehouse. “We are thrilled to be classified as such and foresee tremendous opportunities for future growth.”

Located in or near CBP ports of entry, FTZs allow the deferral of certain duties. Per the CBP, foreign and domestic merchandise may be moved into zones for operations, not otherwise prohibited by law, including storage, exhibition, assembly, manufacturing and processing. All zone activity is subject to public interest review, and foreign-trade zone sites are subject to the laws and regulations of the United States, as well as those of the states and communities in which they are located.

While there are a few FTZs in the Memphis area, Fullen Dock said that it is the only one in the terminal and warehouse space. In addition to minimizing bureaucratic regulations, this designation can significantly reduce costs from customs duties, taxes and tariffs, thus improving competitiveness on a global scale.

Founded in 1979, Fullen Dock has three floating docks providing continuous service during high and low river conditions; 450,000 square feet of warehouse storage; 750,000 square feet of paved outside storage; 700 acres of property within 6 miles of downtown Memphis; more than 100,000 tons of limestone aggregate inventory; a fleet of 50 trucks and 100 trailers; direct connection to the Canadian National (CN) Railway; river fleeting and tug services; and an extensive list of mobile equipment, transloading conveyors, material handlers and a 100-ton capacity cable crane. Fullen Dock became part of the Enstructure family of companies in 2018.

Caption: While there are a few FTZs in the Memphis area, Fullen Dock said that it is the only one with river terminal and warehousing services. (photo courtesy of Fullen Dock & Warehouse)