February 15, 1965. Signing ceremony of the Foreign-Trade Zones Board Grant for the Hawaii Foreign-Trade Zone Zone.
L to R: Congresswoman Patsy. T. Mink, U.S. Secretary of Commerce John T. Conner, Senator Daniel K. Inouye, and Executive Secretary of the Board Richard H. Lake./ photo: www.ftz9.org
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A Look Back: Hawaii’s Foreign-Trade Zone No. 9, 61 Years Ago
FTZ News: Hawaii Foreign-Trade Zone No. 9 received federal authorization on Feb. 15, 1965, and opened at Pier 39 in Honolulu Harbor on June 15, 1966. The program is administered by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism and is now based at Pier 2 in Honolulu.
The zone handled merchandise valued at $10.6 billion in 2024, with trade involving 24 countries, according to FTZ9. A total of 289 firms using the program supported 4,047 jobs. Its Pier 2 facility houses a 133,000-square-foot warehouse, along with 74 offices and conference rooms.
FTZ9 operates 13 designated locations across the Hawaiian Islands, serving Honolulu, Hawaii, Kauai and Maui counties. The program supports businesses engaged in importing, exporting, warehousing, distribution and manufacturing. Its history includes a 1970 authorization for the nation’s first oil refinery to operate under foreign-trade zone procedures./.
