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Title 19, Customs DutiesRelease 119-102

§81a Definitions

Title 19 › CHAPTER 1A — FOREIGN TRADE ZONES › § 81a

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines key words used in the chapter. Secretary means the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Board means the board that carries out the chapter and is made up of the Secretary of Commerce (who is the chair and executive officer) and the Secretary of the Treasury. State includes any State, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Corporation covers both public and private corporations as defined here. Public corporation means a state, a local government or agency, or a municipal body that may span states. Private corporation means a nonpublic corporation set up to run a foreign-trade zone and chartered by a special act passed after June 18, 1934, in the state(s) where it will operate. Applicant is a corporation applying to establish a foreign-trade zone. Grantee is a corporation that has been given that right. Zone means a foreign-trade zone as described in the chapter.

Full Legal Text

Title 19, §81a

Customs Duties, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

When used in this chapter—
(a)The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Commerce;
(b)The term “Board” means the Board which is established to carry out the provisions of this chapter. The Board shall consist of the Secretary of Commerce, who shall be chairman and executive officer of the Board, and the Secretary of the Treasury;
(c)The term “State” includes any State, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico;
(d)The term “corporation” means a public corporation and a private corporation, as defined in this chapter;
(e)The term “public corporation” means a State, political subdivision thereof, a municipality, a public agency of a State, political subdivision thereof, or municipality, or a corporate municipal instrumentality of one or more States;
(f)The term “private corporation” means any corporation (other than a public corporation) which is organized for the purpose of establishing, operating, and maintaining a foreign-trade zone and which is chartered under special Act enacted after June 18, 1934, of the State or States within which it is to operate such zone;
(g)The term “applicant” means a corporation applying for the right to establish, operate, and maintain a foreign-trade zone;
(h)The term “grantee” means a corporation to which the privilege of establishing, operating, and maintaining a foreign-trade zone has been granted;
(i)The term “zone” means a “foreign-trade zone” as provided in this chapter.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1996—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–201, § 910(1), substituted “and the Secretary of the Treasury” for “the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Secretary of War”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104–201, § 910(2), struck out “Alaska, Hawaii,” after “Columbia,”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

This chapter is popularly known as the “Foreign Trade Zones Act”. Floor Stocks Tax Treatment of Articles in Foreign Trade ZonesNotwithstanding this chapter, articles located in a foreign trade zone on the

Effective Date

of increases in tax under specific

Amendments

by Pub. L. 101–508 subject to floor stocks taxes under certain circumstances, see section 11218 of Pub. L. 101–508, set out as a note under section 5001 of Title 26, Internal Revenue Code.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

19 U.S.C. § 81a

Title 19, Customs Duties

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102