In this section
Taxes
Incentives
![]()
Tax & Incentive Profile
Foreign Trade Zones
The Kansas City area Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) ranks first in available FTZ space, featuring nine active general purpose FTZ sites and more than 10,000 acres of space for storage and/or processing of merchandise. In addition, six manufacturing subzones are used in the assembly of automobile parts, motors and robotic components, outdoor gear and processing of agricultural chemicals and products. The Kansas City trade zones handle more volume than those of Dallas/Ft. Worth, Denver, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and St. Louis.
The trade zones program in the Greater Kansas City area is operated by the Greater Kansas City Foreign Trade Zone, Inc. (GKCFTZ). Kansas City was the first inland area to be granted the right to operate a FTZ and the first administered by a private, not-for-profit corporation. In the early 1970s, Kansas City pioneered what is now referred to as the "distributed" FTZ, which includes several zones and subzones throughout the area. Companies can consider the advantages of several area sites on both sides of the state line.
The available storage space in the zone sites includes modern, above ground warehouses and energy efficient underground storage. Companies in Kansas City FTZs take advantage of outstanding air, rail, truck, and barge transportation systems.
The FTZ encourages international commerce and offers businesses many cost saving advantages:
The FTZ offers many advantages including expedited and cost effective access to the program benefits for all companies, large and small alike, through simpler application processes and shortened application time frames when businesses are locating in existing FTZ space.
To view a list and map of FTZ locations visit the KC SmartPort website.
DEFINING THE GREATER KC METRO AREA
Kansas City is a Missouri/Kansas bi-state metropolitan area. All statistical references made to Kansas City Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) include the counties of Cass, Clay, Clinton, Jackson, Lafayette, Platte and Ray in Missouri, and Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami and Wyandotte counties in Kansas. The greater Kansas City area also includes the adjoining Lawrence, KS, St. Joseph, MO, and Topeka, KS MSAs, as well as the Atchison, KS, Chillicothe, MO, Ottawa, KS, and Warrensburg, MO areas.