OTHER NEWS - June 2, 1993

City Council Endorses Harbor Department Plan: The Los Angeles City Council voted to endorse a plan by the Harbor Department to turn the Port of Los Angeles into a foreign trade zone, a designation that would promote local industry and create jobs by exempting imported components from some duties when they are processed within the zone for re-export. A spokesperson for the port said the endorsement by the council is an important show of local support for an application now pending before the Foreign Trade Zone Board in Washington. The approval process is expected to take until early next year. Other major U.S. ports, such as rivals Long Beach and New York, operate limited foreign trade zones. If approved, Los Angeles’ foreign trade zone would be the first in the nation to encompass the entire area of its seaport.