The City of Chandler and Chandler Chamber of Commerce recently hosted a global trade workshop facilitated by experts from Ernst & Young. Attendees learned strategies to mitigate the effects of tariff policy changes, including getting their business location established as a foreign-trade zone (FTZ).

FTZs are federally designated areas considered outside the U.S. Customs Territory where companies can utilize special customs procedures. Below are some of the potential benefits of operating inside a foreign-trade zone:

• Duty Deferral: Duties are paid only when goods enter U.S. Customs Territory
• Duty Exemption: Merchandise may be exported out of the U.S. duty free
• Duty Reduction: Manufacturers may pay the lower duty rate applicable to either component materials or merchandise produced
• Duty Elimination: Duties are eliminated on merchandise that is obsolete, damaged, destroyed as defective, scrapped, or wasted
• Weekly Entry: Reduce costs of fees with weekly entries versus per shipment

Chandler companies seeking FTZ designation work with both the City of Chandler and City of Phoenix (federal grantee for the metro area). If you are interested in exploring FTZ opportunities, contact a member of our Economic Development team.

Chandler has been ranked the 17th best large city to start a business in a recent nationwide study by WalletHub. To determine which cities are best in 2025, their analysts compared 100 U.S. cities across 19 key metrics related to business environment, access to resources, and business costs.

The City of Chandler offers an array of services specifically designed to help entrepreneurs launch or grow a business, including:

• Chandler Endeavor business incubation program
• Site selection (property searches, market data, Business Location Team)
• Small Business Guide
• Chandler Career Center hiring support
• Connections to other resource providers

For more information on these services, visit our Small Business Resources page.

Three startups participating in the Chandler Endeavor business incubator program (EnKoat, TrialNAV, and Business Genie) presented at the 2025 Venture Madness Conference held earlier this month. Venture Madness is Arizona's longest-running capital conference and early-stage pitch event where up-and-coming companies connect with the region's most active investors. Only 16 finalists were selected to present, so this was a major achievement for these Chandler Endeavor companies and great representation for the program.

Chandler Endeavor is a free business incubator program sponsored by the city and managed by community entrepreneurship leaders from ASU's J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute.

On Wednesday, May 21, Chandler Endeavor invites you to attend its Venture Challenge pitch competition. Watch as founders pitch for a chance to win up to $15,000 in funding to advance their business plans. There will also be free food, drinks, and networking opportunities with local entrepreneurs and the Chandler community.

Date: Wednesday, May 21

Time: 5 - 7 p.m.

Location: ASU Chandler Innovation Center, 249 E Chicago St

Register to attend

A "general plan" is a policy document to guide future growth and physical development in a way that supports a community's vision and values. Arizona state law requires municipalities to review and update their general plans every 10 years. The City of Chandler's existing general plan was adopted in 2016, and so the city is kicking off an update process. Stakeholder insights will be critical to the success of this endeavor. Below are some upcoming opportunities to get involved and share your thoughts.

• ChandlerTalks: General Plan Kickoff

May 10, 2 - 5 p.m., Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N Arizona Ave

• Chandler Listens Workshop

May 14, 5:30 - 7 p.m., Chandler Downtown Library, 22 S Delaware St

• Chandler Listens Workshop

May 17, 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m., Chandler Downtown Library, 22 S Delaware St

For more information on the general plan update process and how to participate in stakeholder meetings/events, visit chandleraz.gov/generalplan.