A New Congressional Forum for the U.S. FTZ Program – September 25, 2026

This week marked an important step forward for the U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones program with the first official meeting of the bipartisan Congressional U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones Caucus.

For NAFTZ, the significance of this extends well beyond a single meeting.

One of the continuing challenges in advocating for the FTZ program is both building understanding of this highly specialized federal program across congressional offices and ensuring that FTZs remain part of the conversation when broader trade policy decisions are made. Trade, tariff, customs and competitiveness issues can move quickly, and decisions made on Capitol Hill can have very real consequences for FTZ operations and the communities they support. Congress needs to understand the FTZ program—and remember to account for its unique structure and operations when considering policies that affect U.S. trade.

The Congressional FTZ Caucus gives NAFTZ and the broader FTZ community something we have not previously had: a standing congressional forum for education and engagement on the U.S. FTZ program. Building on NAFTZ’s ongoing relationships and engagement with key congressional offices, the Caucus broadens our ability to reach policymakers and keep the FTZ program visible across Congress.

Wednesday’s launch was an encouraging beginning. Twenty-two congressional staffers attended, and what stood out most was their level of engagement and genuine interest in learning about the program. Their thoughtful questions and discussion continued through the scheduled conclusion of the event.

The launch was also part of a broader NAFTZ congressional engagement effort. Our member and staff team conducted nine additional congressional meetings over two days surrounding the Caucus meeting, continuing to strengthen relationships and awareness of the issues affecting the FTZ community.

This is only the beginning. NAFTZ will continue working with the Caucus to expand congressional participation and provide meaningful opportunities for policymakers to engage with the FTZ community. We are targeting our next Caucus engagement in connection with the NAFTZ DC Summit, February 22–24, 2027, as we carry this work forward.

I’m proud of what our members, volunteer leaders, staff and advocacy partners accomplished this week—but even more encouraged by what this can mean for the future of the U.S. FTZ program.

By: Jeffrey Tafel, CAE

President, NAFTZ