Zonas francas

Organización Internacional del Trabajo -OITOIT-

Costa Rica: Estudio sobre las Zonas Francas

Noviembre 2007

Francas______________ Costa Rica: Estudio sobre Zonas Francas______________

21 de noviembre del 2007

final Versión final revisada

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In Costa Rica, the free zones have been used as a tool to bring Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), mainly oriented to producegoods and services for the world market. Domestic sales are allowed after payment of import taxes. Of the total FDI items from 1997 through 2005, an average of 44.4% was canalized throughout the free zones. Currently, not only goods but also services are produced in the Costa Rican free zones. This has been an evolution from the initial activities at the beginning of the eighties, focus on simpleprocess and assembling to more scientifically process, which demands a more qualify labor. The companies that produce goods stand for 68% of the total established companies in the Costa Rican free zones. Nevertheless, the service ones have shown an increase of 340% from 1997 through 2005. The service companies represented 26% of the productive activity developed in the free zones in the year 2005.The electric/electronic activities along with the medical equipment and precision instruments represent another 26%. The textile/garment industry located in the Costa Rican free zones represents 16%, having decreased its importance in relation to the other activities.
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Francas______________ Costa Rica: Estudio sobre Zonas Francas______________

21 de noviembre del 2007

One of themain objectives to bring FDI to the free zones was to produce for the world market. In the year 2006, the free zone exports accounted for 52% of the total exports of the country (US$4.272.7 Millions). Among the products placed in the world market coming from the Costa Rican free zones are the following integral circuits and electronic microstructures, infusion equipment, serum transfusion, textileand garments, food- processed products and pharmaceutical products. Among the agroindustrial products are banana puree, orange juice, fish, and fresh and canned tuna. In the year 2005, the main market was the United States of America, followed by Asia and the European Union. The importance of the American market for the free zone companies is linked to the ratification of the Free Trade Agreementsubscribed in the year 2004 with that country, which will be submitted to referendum on October 7th 2007. In Costa Rica, the free zones are regulated under the Law 7210 of the Free Rica. Zones Regimen, their amendments and regulations, which established a series of fiscal incentives to bring firms to invest in Costa Among them, there are the import tax exemption for raw materials and machinery andequipment, income tax exemption, sales tax exemption, municipal tax exemption and other taxes. According to the regulations of World Trade Organization (WTO), those fiscal incentives qualify as prohibited subventions because of the requirement that states that to become a beneficiary the company should export. According to the extension given by WTO in July 2007, the country will have up to year2015 to adjust its legislation to be compatible with the WTO regulations. Regarding the free zones companies, the legislation allows those companies that invest 2 Million US Dollars or more to set outside of a free zone park. For the companies that want to set up within the park, the minimum investment required is 150 thousand US Dollars. In year 2005, there were 57companies installed outside theparks, being those the biggest ones and the most participative in the amount exported from the free zones (67.4%). There are 14 free zone parks in Costa Rica. The last one started operations in September 2007. Moreover, there is a
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Francas______________ Costa Rica: Estudio sobre Zonas Francas______________

21 de noviembre del 2007

concentration of the free zones firms in the...