was formed by a group of internationally experienced local businessmen to meet a growing demand of existing and potential users for Foreign Trade Zone capability status.  A foreign trade zone is an area within the United States that the government considers outside the country, or at least, outside of U.S. Customs application of tariffs.  The U.S. Custom controls the zone as a non-duty location considered to be in transit.  A company can import certain types of merchandise into an ftz without going through formal customs entry procedures or paying import duties.  Once the merchandise has been processed, assembled, re-packaged or repaired, duty is paid incrementally on that portion that is sent outside of the zone or not at all when exported to other countries.

Unlike most ftz's, which have one centralized site, BFTZ is a multi-site zone.  More than 316 acres throughout Brattleboro, Vermont has been designated Foreign Trade Zone #268 by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez. 14 sites, including the Brattleboro Development Credit Corp.’s Business Park, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Ltd., and the former Town Crier building, have been designated in the Brattleboro Foreign Trade Zone.   This significant new federal designation marks the end of a three-year process completed by grantee Brattleboro Foreign Trade Zone LLC, with support from U.S. Senators Jim Jeffords and Patrick Leahy, Representative Bernie Sanders, Governor Jim Douglas, Lt. Governor Dubie, all Vermont legislators, and the Town of Brattleboro Selectmen.