Page 66 - TFWA World Exhibition and Conference 2025

INSIDER

As part of its community involvement, WTDC President & CEO Sean Gazitua speaks to FIU’s International Business Honors Society. The company
sponsors alternative spring break travel each year for students selected to participate in the Bandhwari Project – a micro-enterprise connecting university
students, commercially and socially, to women in Bandhwari, India.

Logistics: how trending forces from tariffs to sustainability impact the
supply chain By Sean P. Gazitúa, President & CEO, WTDC

As president and CEO of a worldwide and procedures, reducing paperwork and
logistics company and foreign trade zone, improving the time it takes to bring cargo
I have a unique pulse on the duty free from the port or airport into the FTZ.
and travel retail market. Trends appear While the legal battles over tariffs
in the flow of merchandise as suppliers continue to shape trade policy, another
position inventory to meet the demands force is transforming global business
of the market. Let’s take a closer look at priorities at an even faster pace. This week
how everything from geopolitical affairs to in Cannes, WTDC will be recognized as
sustainability are shaping the market from a a DFNI Frontier Award Finalist for its
logistics perspective. Sustainability Initiatives. Few trends have
As of September 8, 2025, U.S. seen explosive growth and adoption like
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Sustainability. Its rapid ascent from a niche
had collected $166.7 billion in tariffs and concern or buzzword to a central issue over
taxes for the fiscal year, nearly double the the last five years is driven by demand of
amount collected by this time in 2024. consumers, investors, and regulators.
And while tariffs are still a pressing topic, Sean Gazitúa, WTDC President & CEO Environmental, social, and economic
most tariffs have now been published. responsibility extends into the supply chain
Companies are no longer in a paused tariff buyers and ultimately consumers. With in a number of facets. Sustainability in
limbo, unsure of what duties would apply product in a Miami FTZ, goods are on- the supply chain, particularly community
to their products and when. While duty hand for quick delivery to cruises, duty involvement, builds trust and employee
free and travel retail products in a Foreign free retailers, and the domestic markets of engagement, an invaluable element when
Trade Zone warehouse are unaffected by Latin America and the Caribbean. WTDC operating across borders and cultures.
tariffs, the bottom lines of suppliers who provides door to door transportation for its Technology advancements in AI, advanced
also import into the U.S. are certainly duty free and travel retail customers, from analytics, robotics, wind propulsion, and
affected. point of origin to last mile delivery. By liquid nitrogen gas (LNG) are helping
However, the legitimacy of the managing the entire supply chain in-bond, companies reduce carbon footprints.
presidential assigned tariffs is now being companies can fully bypass U.S. tariffs Minimizing double-handling, shipment
debated in U.S. courts as of the time of while utilizing its infrastructure. consolidation, and optimizing inventory
publishing in early September 2025. A U.S. FTZs, such as WTDC, assist positioning are all efficiencies of Foreign
repeal of the tariffs by the U.S. Supreme companies with mitigating tariffs Trade Zones (FTZ), leading to a reduction
Court could result in a windfall for by allowing goods to be imported, in energy consumption when inventory is
companies seeking to reclaim duties paid stored, processed or assembled without managed properly.
over this last year of uncertainty. immediately incurring U.S. custom duties. I welcome any trade and logistics
What does that mean for the duty free FTZs are secure areas under U.S. Customs questions you may have. Be sure to stop
and travel retail industry? Suppliers can and Border Protection (CBP) supervision me and say hello if you see me in Cannes.
preposition products without paying duties and are considered outside CBP territory. I hope you have a successful TFWA World
and taxes, passing along those savings to FTZs have streamlined customs documents Exhibition and Conference!

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