Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, November 29, 1994 TAG: 9411290089
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: GREG EDWARDS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A newly formed foreign trade group said Monday it has begun looking at the possibility of designating a free-trade zone and inland-port freight yard in Southwestern Virginia.
The World Trade Alliance of the Blue Ridge was told that the Virginia Port Authority has agreed for the port authority's consultants to determine the desirability of locating an inland port in the region. The study will be conducted by Vickerman, Zackery and Miller of Reston, a consultant on port operations.
John Huddle, a Roanoke trade lawyer and chairman of the alliance, will meet with representatives of the port authority and the consulting firm within the next week to discuss the scope of the work. Huddle said the consultants, whose work will be paid by the port authority, will provide data on the export and import possibilities of companies in the region and deliver advice on the potential for an inland port.
The alliance was created by the 1993 Virginia General Assembly to help promote world trade in the Blue Ridge region. The region, composed of 20 counties and 11 cities, is roughly defined by the counties of Augusta in the north, Floyd to the south, Appomattox on the eastern boundary and Wythe at the west. The alliance, whose 21 members include seven state legislators, held its second meeting Monday in Roanoke.
Linda Bass of Roanoke's economic-development department described the city's efforts to persuade Norfolk Southern Corp. to locate a rail yard in or near Roanoke. The yard would be where freight in containers could be moved between trucks and rail cars. The development of such an intermodal yard would be the first step in getting a port-of-entry designation and possibly a free-trade zone, Bass said.
The alliance also voted to set up a working group to study the issues involved in establishing an inland port. The group will report at the alliance's next meeting, probably in January.
Joseph Robinson, new international-marketing manager with the Roanoke office of the Virginia Department of Economic Development, told the alliance that the region needs to be more aggressive in its attempts to export goods.
"The whole world is our market," he said.
The more the region exports abroad, the more attractive it becomes to foreign investment at home, Robinson said. He will help the alliance identify companies that could benefit from an inland port. The advantage of such a designation is that companies located within a free-trade zone associated with such a port legally avoid paying some duties on raw materials they import.
The state needs to continue to expand its exports to countries such as Germany, which is the largest importer of Virginia products, but also needs to go after big emerging markets, such as Indonesia and China, Robinson said.
Huddle said anyone with ideas regarding international trade in the region or seeking information on trade can reach him at (703) 983-9300.
by CNB