Dr. Chapter told the board FTZ operators rose from 70 to 73 and sites from 84 to 88; staff noted a change in national foreign‑trade board leadership that may bring policy uncertainty.

An agency official told the advisory board that the airport's FTC/FTZ program now lists 65 operators with 76 sites (62 active), reported a backlog at the national office and said job-count figures are being adjusted upward from last year's 323 to more than 500 currently, with an estimate of about 550 by month end.