U.S. Congressman Aaron Bean and U.S. Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland announced on May 19 the formation of the Congressional U.S. Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) Caucus to promote awareness and understanding of foreign trade zones in the United States.
The caucus aims to provide a platform for lawmakers, economists, industry leaders, and policy experts to discuss how FTZs can benefit supply chain efficiency, investment, and economic growth across communities nationwide.
“U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones help American companies do what they do best—make, move, and sell their products more efficiently. That means stronger manufacturing, better-paying jobs, and more competitive businesses in Northeast Florida and across the nation. I’m proud to launch this bipartisan caucus with Congresswoman Strickland to ensure Congress has a clearer understanding of how U.S. FTZs function and to advance policies that support and strengthen our economy, support American workers, and enhance our global competitiveness,” Bean said.
Strickland said, “Foreign Trade Zones boost our local economies, create jobs, and prioritize U.S. manufacturing. Washington state is a strong trade partner, and this caucus helps ensure the U.S remains a top manufacturing and trade competitor.” Jeffrey Tafel, President of the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones (NAFTZ), said: “We applaud the bipartisan leadership of Representatives Aaron Bean (R-FL-4) and Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10) in establishing the Congressional U.S. Foreign-Trade Zone Caucus. This effort reflects a shared recognition that the U.S. FTZ program is a proven tool for strengthening American manufacturing, supporting jobs, and driving domestic investment… NAFTZ looks forward to working closely with the Caucus…” Justin Ryan from JAXPORT added: “U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones help U.S. companies remain competitive in the global marketplace while supporting local jobs and investment…”
The FTZ program was established by Congress in 1934 as an incentive for domestic manufacturing when foreign entities had tariff advantages; today there are over 1,300 active operations employing about 543,000 people nationwide with exports accounting for approximately 6.5% of total export value from these zones.
According to information about his background,the United States House of Representatives reports that Aaron Bean has represented Florida’s 4th district since replacing John Rutherford in 2023; he previously served in both chambers of Florida’s legislature between 2000–2008 (House) and 2012–2022 (Senate). Born in Fernandina Beach in 1967 where he still resides at age 56,the United States House of Representatives also notes that Bean graduated from Jacksonville University with a BS degree.
