Montrose, IA – The Southeast Iowa Regional Economic and Port Authority has been working since its inception to secure its own Foreign Trade Zone designation for Lee County.
A business operating within an FTZ can take advantage of reduced fees associated with shipping and receiving parts and supplies.
The county's distance from a pair of operating FTZ's in Iowa has prevented it from securing the designation.
The southern portion of Lee County is more than 90-minutes away.
Another opportunity has surfaced for Lee County.
The local airport authorities in Cedar Rapids and Davenport have each invited the county to join proposed regional FTZ's.
County Board Chairman Ernie Schiller says the county is interested as long as the entire county is included in the plan.
The preliminary maps do not include Fort Madison or Keokuk.
Schiller says that is why the county's request to join the FTZ will specifically request the entire county's membership.