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Tax-Free 'Inland Port' Opens Up Foreign Trade in Dallas Jeff Brady / WFAA-TV | April 30, 2008 LANCASTER -- Chinese cargo is already arriving in South Dallas County. Containers come from Houston or Long Beach by train. Then get shipped out cross-country on big-rigs. But traffic from China's about to get a lot busier. In fact, Lancaster city leaders think their new site may soon trump most other American ports. "The ports of Long Beach and LA have a total of 7,000 acres, and half of that's water. We've got 6,000 acres right here in Lancaster," said Joe Tillotson, mayor of Lancaster. The Dallas Logistic Hub, a sprawling inland port being built at the intersection of I-45 and I-20, recently received Foreign Trade Zone status. That means companies can import shipments here - quicker and more cheaply - than almost anywhere else. "The ability to bring those goods in here, process them, and send them out duty-free and tax-free is very important to them," said Ed Brady, Lancaster Economic Development. The developer touts it as the largest new logistics park being built in North America. It officially opened last year, and although nothing has been built on-site, shippers are scrambling to build warehouses nearby. It's really hard to imagine the scope of the Dallas Logistics Hub until you come to one of the industrial warehouses in Lancaster. They cover 13 acres and are wider than a traditional football field is long. The idea is that international trade will flock to the open fields and farmlands, as soon as they're transformed into a tax-free transit zone. "It's a long time coming, but we're glad it's here," said Tillotson. CLICK ON THE BANNER TO BUY TERRORSTORM IN |
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