Form 216 at a glance
What it is: Application for Foreign-Trade Zone Activity Permit, 19 CFR 146.52, 146.66, of the Department of Homeland Security U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Who signs: The applicant firm signs By (Signature) in box 13, with the Title in box 14. The Foreign-Trade Zone Operator signs in box 15 under Approved by Foreign-Trade Zone Operator, with the Title in box 16.
A filled-in Form 216 example: a firm requests a manipulation permit
How to fill out Form 216, box by box
Zone, address and application date
In box 1, enter the Zone No and the Address, with City, State and Zip Code.
Enter the Zone Admission No. in box 2 and the Application Date (mm/dd/yyyy) in box 3.
Type of activity and full description
In box 4, select all that apply: Manipulate, Manufacture, Exhibit, Destroy, Temporary Removal.
In box 5, include the exact place in zone where the operation is to be performed and, in the case of a proposed manipulation or manufacture, a statement as to whether merchandise with one zone status is to be packed, commingled, or combined with merchandise having different zone status. If additional space required, attach separate sheet. If first application for manufacturing of this kind, state whether Foreign-Trade Zones board has occurred in proposed operation.
Merchandise lines
On each line, enter the Zone Lot No. or Unique Identifier in box 6, Marks and Numbers in box 7, Description of Merchandise in box 8, Quantity in box 9, Weights, Measures in box 10 and Zone Status in box 11.
Applicant firm and signature
If any merchandise is to be manipulated in any way or manufactured, you agree to maintain the records provided for in sections 146.21(a), 146.23, and 146.52(d) of the Customs Regulations and to make them available to CBP officers for inspection.
Enter the Applicant Firm Name in box 12 and the Title in box 14, and sign By (Signature) in box 13.
More rules for Form 216
For the Permit, the Port Director of CBP signs in box 17, with the Title in box 18 and the Date (mm/dd/yyyy) in box 19.
In box 20, to the Port Director of CBP, the FTZ Operator certifies that the goods described herein have been disposed of as directed except as noted below, signs For the FTZ Operator in box 21, and enters the Title in box 22 and the Date (mm/dd/yyyy) in box 23.
Common questions about Form 216
What is form 216?
Application for Foreign-Trade Zone Activity Permit, 19 CFR 146.52, 146.66, of the Department of Homeland Security U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The estimated average time to complete this application is 10 minutes.
Sources
[1] CBP Form 216 (12/24), Application for Foreign-Trade Zone Activity Permit, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (the Official source link on this page).