An Introduction:
Free-Trade Zones (FTZ) are secured areas
outside of Costa Rica's Customs territory - for tariff and Customs
duty purposes only. All other Costa Rican laws apply - in reference to
where you can set up your business and the collection of benefits,
exemptions and laws granted to companies in the export business and/or
their solution partners operating in these areas.
Each FTZ is
individually managed by a private corporation supervised by the FTZ
Board. The FTZ Board grants companies FTZ benefits and operational
permits. It consists of two organizations: PROCOMER (Foreign Trade
Marketing Company) and COMEX (Ministry of Foreign Trade).
Free
Trade Sub-Zones (FTSZ) are special purpose facilities for those
companies unable to operate effectively in a FTZ with a minimum
investment of $2,000,000.00 (two million U.S. dollars), granting the
same benefits, exemptions and laws that apply to those of the FTZ. FTSZ
are private plant sites authorized by the FTZ board and sponsored by a
grantee for operations that usually can not be accommodated within an
existing FTZ.
FTZ are located near Customs ports of entry,
highways, airports, or terminal warehouse facilities. They are within
70 miles or 100-minute drive time from ports of entry. They are part of
a Wide Area Network (WAN) equipped to allow direct international phone
calls, ISDN, T1 and dedicated services for voice, data, and video
transmission. Oil supply is available at most FTZ for transportation
and your business needs.
FTZ's building facilities are built
under the highest engineering standards in the Caribbean Basin.
Manufacturing facilities have skylights for natural lighting,
reinforced concrete floor designed to handle heavy loads, full size
loading docks and cargo areas.
Companies established in a FTZ
can service companies associated with the development or enhancement of
FTZ located on any Costa Rican FTZ or overseas. They can hire services
from other companies located in a FTZ, and conduct business in U.S.
dollars, however, they are required to exchange dollars at any Costa
Rican State-owned or commercial bank.
Merchandise, products, raw
materials, components, containers, packing accessories, or any other
material that would enhance the export or re-export process of a
company in a FTZ lawfully brought into a FTZ may be stored, exhibited,
broken up, packed, repacked, processed, refined, distilled, assembled,
distributed, sorted, graded, cleaned, mixed with foreign or domestic
merchandise, or otherwise manipulated or manufactured.
However,
merchandise imported for use in a FTZ, such as construction materials
and production equipment, must be entered for consumption before it is
taken into an FTZ. The FTZ Board may determine, however, that an
operation is not in the public interest. The resulting merchandise may
thereafter be either exported or transferred into the Costa Rican
customs territory.
When foreign goods, in their condition at
time of entry into a FTZ or after processing there, are transferred
into Costa Rican customs, the goods must be entered at the Costa Rican
customs house. If entered for consumption, duties and taxes will be
assessed on the entered articles according to the condition of the
foreign merchandise at the time of entry from the FTZ, if the
merchandise has been placed in non-privileged foreign status prior to
manipulation or manufacture.
In 1999, there were 219 companies
doing business with the benefits and exemptions granted to FTZ's
companies. These companies provided 30,994 jobs, exported 3.6 billion
U.S. dollars, and imported 1.8 billion U.S. dollars.
In 1998, the production of goods of FTZ were:
62.6%
- high-tech hardware, 18.6% - textiles and shoes, 3.8% -
pharmaceuticals products, 2.9% - jewelry, 2.7% - metallurgy, 2.4% -
electronics,1.9% - import/export solution services, 1.6% - natural
resources processed items, 1.1% - other products, 1.1% - recreational
items, 0.6% - Chemicals, and 0.5% - other services.
The term
"Free Trade Zone" is "Zona Franca" in Spanish. Each Free Trade Zone
acquires the name of the private company that manages it and the name
of its location.
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As of 2000, there are 12 Costa Rican Free Trade Zones:
Corporación de Inversión y Desarrollo Bes, S.A.
5 km west of the Juan Santamaria International Airport, Alajuela
Zona Franca Metropolitana, S.A.
300 meters East of CENADA,
Barreal de Heredia.
Zeta Montecillos
2 km west of the Juan Santamaria International Airport, Motecillos de Alajuela, Alajuela.
Parque Industrial Zona Franca Alajuela (SARET)
1.5 km. West of the Juan Santamaria International Airport, Alajuela.
Zeta La Valencia
800 meters East of the Valencia Intersection, Heredia.
Zona Franca Puntarenas
Santa Rosa de Barranca
Parque Industrial Zona Franca Cartago
3 km. south from the intersection of "La Lima" on the Pan-American Highway
Centro de Ciencia y Tecnología Ultrapark, S.A.
800 m. East of the Real Cariari Mall, towards the Aurora de Heredia, Heredia
Parque Oficinas Forum
Forum 2, Building D, Lindora, Santa Ana, San Jose
Global Park
In front of the Santa Ana 2000 Mall at the Próspero Fernández Highway
Los Arallanes
600 m. East of the Real Cariari Mall, towards the Aurora de Heredia, Heredia
Conair Turrialba
500 m.West of the "Plantel del Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE)", Turrialba, Cartago
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