International business is here. The IBC isn't the only strong international business organization here. Monroe County is home to the only privately operated foreign trade zone in the United States. Exports from the zone are exempt from U.S. Customs duties and excise taxes. Imports to the zone have duties deferred to a later time.
International trade is big regionally as well.
Both the Buffalo and Syracuse regions are heavily into international business, making upstate New York an exporting powerhouse, says John Manzella, a Buffalo-based trade lobbyist. Manzella, who runs Manzella Trade Communications Inc., recently wrote a report that suggests that state and local governments need to make it even easier for companies to invest overseas. The region's growth is part of a nationwide increase. I believe that exports . . . are more important than people realize,'' Manzella adds. Local businesses agree that trade will continue to be an important part of the local economy.