Shannon Free Zone

Shannon showed that a government could attract manufacturing by letting companies import inputs and export products with lighter customs and tax burdens. The zone grew out of Shannon Airport's need for new business as longer-range aircraft stopped refueling there, and a 1947 law had already made Shannon a customs-free airport. Brendan O'Regan, a central figure at the airport, championed the industrial zone. Its model influenced later zones around the world, including Shenzhen in China. U.S. importers use the same basic logic today in foreign-trade zones and bonded warehouses, where duty can be deferred, reduced or avoided on goods that are stored, processed or re-exported.

• Foreign-Trade ZoneFTZUS area where duty is deferred
• Bonded WarehouseStorage where duty waits until withdrawal
• Duty DrawbackRefund of duties on goods later exported

• Founding of Singapore as a Free Port1819 · Raffles sets up a duty-free port open to all ships
• Zollverein1834 · German states drop tariffs among themselves
• Maquiladora Program1965 · Mexican border plants assemble imported parts duty-free

• Foreign-Trade Zones Act of 19341934 · US law creating zones where import duty is deferred

1. Shannon Free Zone (Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.org
2. How Ireland's free trade zone model inspired the Shenzhen SEZ (China Services Info) chinaservicesinfo.com