PointTrade Services, Inc. is a professional services firm specializing in consulting and managed services.
PointTrade Services Consulting advises companies in such areas as import operations, import compliance and risk management, all aspects of the Foreign-Trade Zones program, Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program, North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) program and other trade related programs, global supply chain matters, software and systems management, and project development.
FTZ Feasibility
PointTrade Services conducts economic cost/benefit analyses to determine the feasibility of potential foreign-trade zone projects. Our professionals will outline the import and export information needed to project potential savings opportunities in the form of a brief questionnaire. Based on a company’s import and export volumes, we will demonstrate and present the potential savings opportunities available to companies operating under foreign-trade zone procedures.
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Calculator to estimate potential FTZ savings
FTZ Applications
In order to obtain a grant of authority to establish a zone project, an application must be submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board in Washington, DC.
The PointTrade Services team has extensive experience in preparing the various types of foreign-trade zone applications:
- General-Purpose FTZ Application
- Subzone Application
- Expansion Application
- Application to Reorganize under ASF
- Application for Boundary Modification (TSF and ASF)
- Request for Manufacturing Authority
- Temporary/Interim Manufacturing (T/IM) Authority
- Amendment or Expansion of a zone’s existing Scope of Authority
Requests for Manufacturing Authority may be included with other zone applications.
The PointTrade Services team prepares zone applications working closely with the applicant’s representative to gather the necessary data and approvals to submit the application. A brief overview of our application services follows:
- Coordinate with Grantee and review of FTZ agreements
- Develop and prepare application for submission
- Monitor application through FTZ Board process
- Prepare responses to FTZ Board requests, as needed
- Coordinate with other governmental agencies
- Participate in public hearings, if any
FTZ Activation
A site which has been granted zone status may be used for zone activity once the site or a section thereof has been separately approved for FTZ activation by local U.S. Customs & Border Protection officials.
The PointTrade Services team has extensive experience in activating zone sites. A brief overview of our activation services include the following:
- Prepare activation request with special procedures
- Assist with background investigations and site security inspections
- Provide guidance in developing standard operating procedures which complement the FTZ procedure manual
- Prepare FTZ procedure manual
- Advise on inventory control and recordkeeping system issues, including project design and implementation for in-house systems development
- Assist in review and evaluation of potential software vendors for inventory control and recordkeeping
- Operational set up of the zone
- Provide training in administration and operational functions of the zone
- Educate current employees to adapt to changes in the culture and processes to more effectively improve global supply chain, inventory control, systems and compliance
PointTrade Services offers operational support through its
FTZ Administration services. We can provide direct administrative support on start up for a period of time or provide full time administrative services to operate the FTZ.
Following activation we can also provide training to in-house audit teams on Spot Compliance Reviews, or we can provide one to two day on site Spot Compliance Reviews to ensure the zone is operating in compliance with U.S. Customs & Border Protection and FTZ Regulations.
The PointTrade Services team can assist zone users in making the most beneficial use of the zone, including streamlining transactions and reporting.
Project Management
PointTrade Services is available to assist companies at various levels in management of their FTZ projects. We can assist in the implementation of any FTZ software systems on the market and can offer sound advice to help zone users select the system best suited to their operations. PointTrade Services offers our operational and inventory control experience to meet with systems personnel to assist in the development of an automated inventory control system and its applicable procedures.
Our Project Management services include the following:
- Assist in review and evaluation of potential software vendors for inventory control and recordkeeping
- Assist with design and enhancement of in-house systems
- Assist with management of systems integration following vendor selection
- Manage timelines
- Educate current employees in changes to corporate culture and processes to more effectively improve global supply chain, inventory control, systems, and compliance
- Assist with development of standard operating procedures
- Provide training on operational and administration functions
Marketing & Development
The PointTrade Services team has assisted many communities in achieving their development goals and maximizing the use of their zone projects.
The PointTrade Services team can assist with business development and marketing efforts such as:
- Development of strategic marketing plans and budgets
- Facilitate strategic sessions on establishing an FTZ project
- Facilitate strategic sessions on revitalizing an FTZ project
- Work with various public/private entities to create a business plan to support the zone project
- Assist with development of public interest concepts from a local/ regional and national perspective
- Brief executive management on opportunities related to the zone project
- Assist with development of press releases
- Present marketing seminars
The following highlights summarize the experience in marketing and development of PointTrade Services’ President & CEO, Tommy L. Berry:
- Direct involvement in the management of two industrial parks and an operational port/foreign-trade zone, including involvement in the design of intermodal facilities and development of office space
- Participation in economic development that attracted more than $100 million of new capital investment to a community
- Preparation and analysis of data for future planned expansion of industrial activities in a community
- Participation in general economic development activities
- Development of strategic plans for public entities, airports and sea ports
- One of twelve professionals who developed a strategic plan for international trade for the state of Florida
- Authored/published over 100 articles for the US and international markets, quoted on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, and appeared on the covers of various US/International public media
- Presentations to industry leaders in overseas markets
- While president of the NAFTZ, coordinated regional and national public relations efforts for hearings
- Developed and implemented new international services for the trade and customs group of a Big 4 accounting firm
