Citizen Potawatomi Nation launches foreign trade zone to help companies manage tariffs

Citizen Potawatomi Nation has established one of the first active foreign trade zones in Indian Country at its Iron Horse Industrial Park in Shawnee, Oklahoma, according to KOSU. The foreign trade zone operates on 700 acres of trust land and allows companies to import, export and store goods with deferred or eliminated duties through a secured Customs and Border Protection facility located inside a warehouse.

Vedrana Milakovic, director of economic planning and development for Citizen Potawatomi Nation, said companies use the zone for duty deferral and duty elimination. They can import large quantities of products from China or export goods to Mexico without duties when bonded carriers are used. Milakovic said the foreign trade zone provides stability for both tribal revenue and businesses navigating fluctuating tariffs. The Iron Horse Industrial Park recently received the Harvard Project on Indigenous Governance and Development’s Honoring Nations award, which recognizes excellence in tribal governance.