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Anchorage moved one step closer to its goal of redirecting a sizeable portion of international commerce through its municipal limits last week when the U.S. Department of Commerce approved its foreign trade zone application. With the same stroke, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Robert Mosbacher admitted the city of St. Paul into the same exclusive club.
For Anchorage Port Director Larry Dinneen, the decision designating 1,225 acres of land as international, duty free territory marks the partial culmination of an eight-year effort. His involvement began shortly after an inquiry to a state development organization sparked interest among members in potential economic benefits inherent to a duty-free zone.
The port director and the Resource Development Council were some of the first proponents. Over the past few years, many private interests pushed the issue and were instrumental in the particulars of its eventual formation.
While the process has yet to proceed through a number of other, less significant organizational hurdles, Dinneen says he expects the targeted sites at his port, the Anchorage International Airport and five privately-owned sites to be fully functional by year's end.
With approval in hand, the process heads to the Anchorage Assembly for interpretation and subsequent establishment of what Dinneen refers to as some form of joint venture between the airport, port and...