AUBURN – The president of Georgia’s Foreign Trade Zone will deliver the keynote address at the Auburn Business Development Corporation’s Annual Breakfast Meeting 7:30 a.m. Thursday, March 24, at at Martindale Country Club.

Julie Brown, president and CEO of Georgia’s Foreign Trade Zone, has been successful in overseeing FTZ No. 26 in large part by capitalizing on the amenities of the Atlanta region.

Atlanta is home to the world’s largest airport, and many of the more than 1,600 internationally owned facilities representing 39 countries in Georgia are located in Atlanta. According to the company’s Web site, a substantial trade zone warehouse is located near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the Atlanta Tradeport, which spans Fulton and Clayton County lines.

Created by the federal government in the 1930s, a Foreign Trade Zone facilitates trade and increases the global competitiveness of U.S.-based companies. A Foreign Trade Zone is an area within the United States that the government considers outside the U.S. Customs territory. Certain types of merchandise can be imported into a Zone without going through formal Customs entry procedures or paying import duties. Eligible companies operating within an FTZ can defer paying duties until goods are sold domestically, and can eliminate tariffs if products are shipped to a foreign country.

The “Grant of Authority” designating a 760-acre parcel of land in Auburn as Foreign Trade Zone 263 was signed on Oct. 1, 2004.

ABDC is a nonprofit economic development corporation serving Auburn.

Reservations to attend the breakfast are required. To register for the event, contact ABDC at 784-0161. The cost to attend is $12, which includes a full breakfast buffet.