Berks County Trade Zone Expands to Include Schuylkill Area
Published Date: 9/8/2025
Notice
Summary
Berks County’s Foreign-Trade Zone 147 wants to grow by adding Schuylkill County to its service area. This means more local businesses can enjoy special trade benefits and flexibility starting soon if approved. Public comments are open until November 7, 2025, so now’s the time to speak up!
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Schuylkill County Added to FTZ 147
The FTZ 147 applicant seeks approval to expand the zone's service area to include Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. If approved, companies in Schuylkill County could be served by FTZ 147 and become eligible for FTZ designation and the ASF-related flexibility; the application was docketed September 4, 2025.
ASF Lets More Flexible Subzone Designations
Under the Alternative Site Framework (ASF), grantees can have significantly greater flexibility to designate new subzones or 'usage-driven' FTZ sites within their service area, subject to the FTZ Board's standard 2,000-acre activation limit. That flexibility would apply to operators/users located anywhere in the expanded service area if the reorganization is approved.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
Related Federal Register Documents
2026-16752, Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) 176, Notification of Proposed Production Activity; Coilcraft, Inc.; (Ferrous Iron Pre-Fabrication Material); Princeton, Illinois
2026-16104, Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) 21, Notification of Proposed Production Activity; Translucent Solar, LLC; (Solar Modules); Summerville, South Carolina
Translucent Solar, LLC wants to make solar panels in Summerville, South Carolina, using some imported parts with special duty rules inside Foreign-Trade Zone 21. This move could save money on import taxes and speed up production. Public comments are open until September 16, 2026, so folks can share their thoughts before the plan moves forward.
2026-15937, Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) 18, Notification of Proposed Production Activity; Western Digital Technologies, Inc.; (Semiconductor Die); San Jose and Fremont California
2026-15804, Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) 12; Authorization of Production Activity; Avant Technology, Inc.; (Solid-State Drives and Memory Modules); Pharr, Texas
2026-15564, Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) 202, Notification of Proposed Production Activity; Industrial Parts Depot, LLC; (Engine Parts and Components); Carson, California
2026-15422, Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) 153, Notification of Proposed Production Activity; Aptera Motors Corp; (Solar Electric Vehicles); Carlsbad, California
Aptera Motors in Carlsbad, California wants to make solar electric vehicles using some imported parts with special trade benefits. This means they can save on import taxes (ranging from 0% to 5.5%) for parts like batteries, airbags, and body panels. The plan was officially submitted on July 23, 2026, and if approved, it could help Aptera build greener cars more affordably and faster.
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