For Immediate Release: December 29, 2005
DBEDT Release News 05-35

HONOLULU--On December 19, 2005 the staffers at Foreign-Trade Zone No. 9 celebrated the arrival of the 40,000th shipment of merchandise to enter the zone since it started receiving cargo 39 years ago.

The shipment consisted of roughly 20,000 pairs of Havaianas slippers from Brazil.

"This shipment is symbolic of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism's (DBEDT) long-standing effort to assist small businesses in Hawaii involved in international trade," said DBEDT Deputy Director Mark Anderson. "In the years to come, as we further establish our Pier 2 site as a hub for international trade, we expect to be serving even more Island small businesses and making an even greater contribution to the welfare of Hawaii's people. Small business owners like Claudio Ribeiro know how vital the Zone is to the well-being of Hawaii's economy."

Hawaii's Foreign-Trade Zone - a division of DBEDT - currently helps more than 300 Hawaii companies trim their operating costs by utilizing the zone's tariff - and duty-free environment. Through the zone program, these companies provide more than 2,500 local jobs and export more than $434 million worth of merchandise (mainly jet fuel) annually.

Hawaii has one of the largest and most diversified Zone programs in the United States with its eight authorized general-purpose sites and five subzones. It's great location at Pier 2, excellent support facilities, and, professionally experienced staff makes it one of the best Trade Zones in the nation.

Foreign-Trade Zones are restricted access sites authorized by the federal government and operated under the supervision of the U.S. Customs Service. These sites are considered outside the U.S. Customs territory for Customs entry procedures and are designed to encourage foreign commerce and employment in the United States which, for Customs reasons, might otherwise be carried on abroad.

The Ribeiro Corporation of Hawaii on the Island of Kauai, was started in 1996. Since its beginning it has been one of the national leaders in importing Havaianas slippers from Brazil to the United States. Ribeiro Corporation uses FTZ No.9 as a gateway to do business either with mainland USA as well as the Pacific Rim with Havaianas slippers and other surf related products manufactured in Hawaii or imported from other foreign suppliers.

From Right to Left, Scott Yoshida, FTZ No. 9 Operations Supervisor congratulates Claudio Ribeiro., President of Ribeiro Corporation for being the recipient of the 40,000th shipment (zone lot). Inspecting the shipment are Customs and Border Protection Officers Denise Chang and Clayton Pasion.

For more information, contact:
Mark Anderson, DBEDT
Phone: (808) 586-3035
Email: manderson@dbedt.hawaii.gov