The Advantages of Relocating Your Business to Hawaii

Tax Incentives - Hawaii offers a variety of tax incentives, credits and exemptions to attract new business ventures, help existing businesses and stimulate overall economic growth. For specific details on Hawaii's high technology tax Incentives, visit: Overview of High Technology Tax Provisions (PDF)

Telecommunications Advantages - Hawaii's unique mid-Pacific location enables business communication with both Asia and the U.S. East Coast on the same business day. This time zone advantage, coupled with a highly developed, cutting edge telecommunications infrastructure, gives businesses in Hawaii distinct telecommunication advantages that no other location can offer.

In addition to Hawaii's geographical location and extensive telecommunications infrastructure, multi-national corporations are also excited by the state's multi-lingual workforce to take advantage of opportunities to establish call centers.

Streamlined Registration Process - Single agency jurisdiction, efficient processing and straight-forward filing fees are all features of the user-friendly State Business Registration Division.

The Advantages to Expanding Your Business in Hawaii

The Hawaii Enterprise Zones Program designates areas in the state to develop and stimulate telecommunications, medical research, data system services, agriculture, biotech, international business training, manufacturing, wholesaling, and aviation or maritime maintenance. For more information, call (808) 586-2582.

Another option for eligible businesses is Hawaii's Foreign Trade Zone Program.

Hawaii's Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) lies outside U.S. Customs territory for tax, duty, and quota purposes, helping companies engaged in international trade to significantly reduce their operating costs.

The zone and sub-zone sites are used to store, exhibit, manufacture, assemble, re-label, import, and export products. In 2002, 303 companies used the Foreign-Trade Zone program, handling 226 types of merchandise from 31 countries. The total value of merchandise handled during this past year reached $3,085,804,535.

Within Foreign-Trade Zone sites in Hawaii, a variety of value-added and manufacturing activities occurred that added between 3 and 75 percent to the value of merchandise forwarded. Companies reported that 1,423 employees were directly attributable to participation in the Foreign-Trade Zone program. An additional 1,340 people were employed on a temporary or seasonal basis. Companies using the FTZ program made capital improvements of $34.8 million to Zone facilities during the year.

There are currently 13 sites on the islands of Oahu, Maui and Hawaii that have received FTZ designation. Of the 13 sites, three general-purpose zone sites and four special-purpose subzone sites are active. The Foreign-Trade Zone Division is responsible for ensuring that U.S. Customs and Foreign-Trade Zones Board regulations are followed at these sites.

Visit Hawaii's Foreign Trade Zone Program to find out more about this program.

The Business Action Center

Located on the outskirts of Honolulu's downtown business center in Iwilei, the Business Action Center provides one-stop, comprehensive information on business license and registration requirements needed when starting, expanding or relocating a business in Hawaii.

The Center disseminates information from federal, state, and county agencies and private sector nonprofit organizations through a single source, saving time and money. It also distributes business license and permit applications, assists with the completion of forms, and forwards forms with applicable fees to the appropriate agency.

For further Information: The Business Action Center.

Business Action Center
1130 North Nimitz Highway
Second Level, Suite A-220
Honolulu, Hawaii 96817
Open: 7:30 am - 5:00 pm
Monday through Friday
(808) 586-2545