Morganton AUMOVIO plants pursue federal trade zone designation

A major Morganton automotive components manufacturer is seeking federal foreign-trade zone status for its two Jamestown Road plants, a move that could help the company manage tariff and customs costs tied to imported parts and international supply chains.

AUMOVIO Systems Inc., formally named Continental, has applied to the U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones Board to designate its two Morganton manufacturing facilities as a company-specific subzone of Foreign-Trade Zone 57, according to a notice published in the Federal Register.

The application covers 18.15 acres at 1103 Jamestown Road and 7.6 acres at 705 Jamestown Road.

The application was submitted by the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, the grantee of FTZ 57, and was formally docketed July 30.

For Burke County readers, the filing matters because AUMOVIO is one of Morganton’s significant industrial employers and operates in the automotive supply chain, an industry closely tied to tariffs, imported components, export markets, and global production costs.

AUMOVIO’s Morganton operation is listed in the Manufactured in North Carolina database as a transportation equipment manufacturer with 400 employees at 1103 Jamestown Road.

A foreign-trade zone is a designated place inside the United States where companies can use special customs procedures. The U.S. Department of Commerce says foreign-trade zone status can allow duty-free treatment for items that are re-exported and can defer duty payments on items sold into the U.S. market.

With separate approval for production activity, manufacturers also may be able to reduce duties when the finished product has a lower tariff rate than the imported components used to make it.

AUMOVIO emerged from Continental’s automotive business. The company describes itself as born from Continental’s Automotive group sector and established as an independent company in September 2025, building on decades of expertise while developing mobility products, hardware, software, and modern vehicle technologies.

—AVN