Foreign Trade Zone #80-10 at Port San Antonio

Port San Antonio’s entire 1,900-acre campus is designated as a General Purpose Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ #80-10). This designation allows businesses operating on-site to activate FTZ status if they choose to do so, offering significant cash flow and operational advantages.

What is a Foreign-Trade Zone?

A Foreign-Trade Zone is a specifically designated piece of real estate—such as part of a warehouse, an entire building or a parcel of land—considered outside U.S. customs territory for the purpose of tariff laws and customs entry procedures. This means that goods arriving from outside the United States and directly admitted into the FTZ are not subject to formal customs entry or the payment of duties while they remain in the zone.

This allows the owners of those goods—typically retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers—to pay import duties and tariffs on an as-needed basis as they withdraw items from the FTZ and send them to factories (such as component parts) or place them on store shelves. This is especially advantageous for businesses that import significant quantities of goods from abroad, since the deferral of duties improves their cash flow.

Key Benefits of Operating in an FTZ

  • Improved Cash Flow

    Duty payments are deferred until goods leave the FTZ and enter U.S. commerce.

  • Duty Reduction or Elimination

    Duties may be reduced or eliminated on imported components used in manufacturing or assembly. Waste and scrap may also be exempt from duties.

  • Lower Inventory Costs

    Goods can be stored in the FTZ indefinitely without incurring customs duties, reducing inventory carrying costs.

  • Streamlined Logistics

    Goods can be consolidated, sorted, repackaged, or assembled within the FTZ, improving supply chain efficiency.

Ideal Operations for FTZ Use

The following are some of the types of business operations that could benefit from FTZs:

  • Retail/Wholesale
  • Warehousing
  • Testing
  • Repair
  • Assembly/Manufacturing
  • Repackaging
  • Salvage

Featured FTZ Operator: OpTech (Operational Technologies Corporation)

OpTech has operated a logistics center at Port San Antonio since 2006, offering specialized services in warehousing, fulfillment, and logistics. It manages the only public FTZ in San Antonio, providing flexible solutions for domestic and international clients.

FTZ Services Offered by OpTech

  • Duty and Tax Optimization
    • Duty deferral, reduction, and elimination
    • Elimination of duties on waste and scrap
    • Inventory tax elimination
  • Customs Efficiency
    • Consolidated customs clearances
    • In-transit consolidation for global distribution
    • Delivery Duty Unpaid (DDU) options for foreign clients
  • Warehousing & Fulfillment
    • Full-service warehousing and transportation
    • Web-based inventory management system
    • Seasonal flexibility for dynamic supply chains
  • Value-Added Services
    • Pick, pack, and ship
    • Light assembly, kitting, and packaging
    • Merge-in-transit logistics
    • Testing, configuration, and returns management
    • Supplier development and management
OpTech warehousing operations at Port San Antonio

Contact OpTech Operational Technologies

📍 4100 NW Loop 410, Suite 100, San Antonio, TX 78229 
📧 sales-service@otcorp.com 
📞 (210) 926-8888 
🌐 www.otcorp.com