From October 1 to 3, Guatemala will be hosting a Conference on Free Zones of the Americas, where topics such as the potential and benefits of companies in the sector will be discussed.
From a statement issued by the Association of Free Zones of the Americas:
Guatemala, September 19, 2018.- The Association of Free Zones of the Americas - AZFA - together with the Santo Tomas de Castilla Free Zone, Chamber of Industry, Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Economy, presented the twenty-second Conference for Free Zones of the Americas to be held from October 1 to 3 at Hotel Casa Santo Domingo, in Antigua Guatemala.
Ten companies have already shown interest in setting up in the logistics center to be developed in Tocumen, whose business plan and regulations for a free zone could be ready in September.
Among the activities that will be developed by the companies operating in the logistics park are packing and repacking, as well as product manufacturing and other complementary activities.
The 50 companies already operating at Tocumen's airport facilities will be able to access free trade zone incentives if the request made by the administration of the terminal is approved.
The documentation was submitted to the National Commission of Free Zones at the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MITI), and there will be a 30 day period to review and approve the application.
A study by PROCOMER indicates that for every dollar exonerated in the period between 2010 and 2014, companies in the free zone regime generated $5.7 on average for the country.
From the executive summary of the study by PROCOMER entitled "Free Zone Balance 2010-2014":
4. Country Net Profit (CNP) for the operation of the Free Trade Zone Regime (FZR) reached an average of US $2.556 billion a year in 2010-2014.
From November 4th to 6th a conference will be held in Managua attended by users of free zones, industrial parks and representatives from customs, exporters and freight forwarders in the region.
Association of Free Zones:
The XIX Conference of Free Zones of the Americas will take place on 4 to 6 of November in Managua, Nicaragua.
The event is being organized by the National Commission of Free Zones of Nicaragua and ProNicaragua at the Hilton Hotel.
If free zones -with their tax breaks and other privileges- are good for the economy, why isn't the entire country made into a free zone?
EDITORIAL
Why not provide companies founded with Central America capital the same benefits and privileges enjoyed by foreign firms operating under free zone regimes? The job creation and contribution to the economy that can be made by companies in free zones because they enjoy these privileges should be able to come from business founded with Central American capital as well, which in contrast to foreign firms, have to deal with excessive regulations and bureaucracy in the States of Central America.
From 12 to 14 November representatives from free zones in Latin America will be gathering together in Panama City to discuss issues such as changes in legislation and the role of free zones in the logistics chain.
The topics to be discussed range from innovation and new business in free zones and industries to changes to key legislation for the creation of logistic nodes.
A market of one billion consumers has been opened up to products that are manufactured, processed, assembled or finished in Panamanian Free Trade Zones, without requirements for having value added locally.
Companies under the free zone regime in Panama are offering local and foreign companies the ability to export to China under the special conditions that govern them, with the aim of achieving the high production volumes required.
The XV Latin American Conference on Free Zones will discuss the challenges and opportunities they face, especially from 2015 when the WTO requires the elimination of export tax incentives.
The "XV Latin American Conference on Free Zones" will take place from 26th to 28th October this year at the Hotel Casa Santo Domingo, Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala.
Located in the west side of the capital, in areas of growing demand for office space, Escazú Corporate Center will be the first and most modern multipurpose complex in Costa Rica.
The start of construction of Escazú Corporate Center (ECC), a modern corporate tower of 20.400 m2 and eleven floors, gives birth to the first and most modern multipurpose complex in Costa Rica, working under the free zone regime, which makes the proposal more attractive.