Free economic zone

Free economic zones (FEZ), free economic territories (FETs) or free zones (FZ) are a class of special economic zone (SEZ) designated by the trade and commerce administrations of various countries. The term is used to designate areas in which companies are taxed very lightly or not at all to encourage economic activity. The taxation rules are determined by each country. The World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM) has content on the conditions and benefits of free zones.

Some special economic zones are called free ports. Sometimes they have historically been endowed with favorable customs regulations such as the free port of Trieste. In recent years the free port system has been accused of facilitating international art crime, allowing stolen artworks to remain undetected in storage for decades.

Definition
According to the 1999 Revised Kyoto Convention, a "'free zone' means a part of the territory of a contracting party where any goods introduced are generally regarded, insofar as import duties and taxes are concerned, as being outside the customs territory."

History
An early type of special economic zone was free ports, these historically were endowed with favorable customs regulations. In modern times free port has come to mean a specific type of special economic zone, for example LADOL. All "free ports" in the world are permitted by the respective States, save the Free Port of Trieste that with the signing of the 16th Resolution of the Security Council of the United Nations (10 January 1947) and the signing of the Treaty of Peace with Italy (10 February 1947, ratified 15 September 1947) were put territorially under the sovereignty of the United Nations itself. As cited on Annex VIII, Article 3 paragraph 2 : "The establishment of special zones in the Free Port under the exclusive jurisdiction of any State is incompatible with the status of the Free Territory and of the Free Port". For example, it is not possible to apply the "Italian Law on Ports" in the extraterritorial free zones of the UN Free Port of Trieste with the effect that all actual territorial concessions are null and void.

Albania

 * Spitalle
 * Koplik
 * Vlore

Argentina

 * General Pico Free Zone
 * Provincia de Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur

Armenia

 * Gyumri

Bangladesh
Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority

Belarus

 * Brest FEZ
 * FEZ Mogilev
 * FEZ Vitebsk

Bolivia

 * Cobija Free Economic Zone (Zona Franca de Cobija, in Spanish)

Brazil

 * Free Economic Zone of Manaus, in Manaus

Bulgaria

 * Burgas
 * Rousse
 * Plovdiv
 * Dragoman,_Bulgaria
 * Vidin
 * Svilengrad

Chile

 * Iquique
 * Punta Arenas

China

 * Hong Kong
 * Pearl River Delta

Egypt

 * Port Said Public Free Zone
 * Alexandria Public Free Zone
 * Nasr City Public Free Zone
 * Suez Public Free Zone
 * Ismailia Public Free Zone
 * Damietta Public Free Zone
 * Media Public Free Zone
 * Shebin El- Kom Public Free Zone
 * Qeft Public Free Zone
 * Port Said East Port Public Free Zone

Georgia

 * Poti, Samegrelo region

Germany

 * Speicherstadt, Hamburg.

Ghana

 * Tema, Free Zone Enclave

India

 * Sricity Multi Product SEZ, Andhra Pradesh
 * SEEPZ, India
 * MARG Swarnabhoomi SEZs for Engineering and Multi Services, Tamil Nadu
 * Inspira Pharma & Renewable Energy Park, Aurangabad, Maharashtra

Iran

 * Kish
 * Aras Free Zone
 * Anzali Free Zone
 * Arvand Free Zone
 * Chabahar Free Zone
 * Gheshm Free Zone
 * Maku Free Zone
 * Imam Khomeini Airport City Free Zone

Iraq

 * Sulaymaniyah Free Zone

Ireland

 * Shannon Free Zone

Italy

 * Erice
 * Gela
 * Crotone
 * Rossano
 * Lamezia Terme
 * Matera
 * Taranto
 * Lecce
 * Andria
 * Naples
 * Torre Annunziata
 * Mondragone
 * Campobasso
 * Velletri
 * Sora
 * Pescara
 * Massa Carrara
 * Ventimiglia

South Korea

 * Korean Free Economic Zones
 * Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone
 * Daegu-Gyeongbuk Free Economic Zone
 * Gwangyang Bay Area Free Economic Zone
 * Incheon Free Economic Zone
 * Yellow Sea Free Economic Zone
 * Saemanguem-Gunsan Free Economic Zone
 * East Coast Free Economic Zone
 * Chungbuk Free Economic Zone

Latvia

 * Liepāja Special Economic Zone
 * Rēzekne Special Economic Zone
 * Rīga Freeport Economic Zone
 * Ventspils High Technology Park

Lithuania

 * Marijampolė Free Economic Zone
 * Kaunas Free Economic Zone
 * Klaipėda Free Economic Zone
 * Panevėžys Free Economic Zone
 * Akmenė Free Economic Zone
 * Šiauliai Free Economic Zone
 * Kėdainiai Free Economic Zone

Nigeria

 * Centenary Economic City
 * LADOL Free Zone
 * Nigeria International Commerce city

Macedonia

 * Free Economic Zone Skopje 1
 * Free Economic Zone Skopje 2
 * Free Economic Zone Stip
 * Free Economic Zone Tetovo

Malaysia

 * Port Klang Free Zone

Moldova

 * Entrepreneurship Free Zone Expo-Business-Chişinău
 * Entrepreneurship Free Zone "Tvardiţa"
 * Entrepreneurship Free Zone "Taraclia"
 * Entrepreneurship Free Zone "Valkaneş"
 * Entrepreneurship Free Zone "Otaci-Business"
 * FEZ "Bălți"
 * Subzone Straseni CAAN
 * FEZ "Ungheni-Business"
 * FEZ Aeroportul Liber Internaţional Mărculeşti
 * FEZ International Free Port Giurgiulești

Mongolia

 * Tsagaan Nuur Free Economic Zone
 * Altanbulag Free Trade Zone
 * Zamyn-Uud Free Economic Zone

Morocco
Export Processing Zone of Tangier

Free Zones at Tanger Med Ksar el Majaz Mellousa 1 and 2

Free Zone in Dakhla and Laayoune

Free Storage Zone of hydrocarbons: Kebdana and Nador

Export Processing Zone in Kenitra

Norway

 * Svalbard

Oman

 * Knowledge Oasis Muscat
 * Sohar Port and Free Zone
 * Salalah Free Zone
 * Al-Mazunah Free Zone
 * Special Economic Zone Duqm

Pakistan

 * Gwadar Port Gwadar Port free Zone, part of CPEC Project

Peru

 * Tacna Free Economic Zone (Zona Franca de Tacna, in Spanish)

Philippines

 * Subic Bay Freeport Zone - first Freeport in the Philippines
 * Clark Freeport Zone

Qatar
Qatar has free zones and Special Economic Zones with differing laws on taxation and corporate ownership


 * Qatar Science & Technology Park
 * Qatar Financial Centre
 * Manateq Special Economic Zones
 * Ras Bufontas
 * Um Alhoul
 * Al Karaana

Russia
In Russia there are only Special Economic Zones

Technical/Innovational Zones
 * Dubna
 * Zelenograd (Moscow)
 * Saint Petersburg
 * Tomsk
 * Innopolis

Industrial/developmental Zones
 * Alabuga Special Economic Zone
 * Lipetsk

Tourist Zones
 * Krasnodar Krai
 * Stavropol Krai
 * Kaliningrad Oblast (Yantar, Kaliningrad Special Economic Zone)
 * Altai Krai
 * Altai Republic
 * Irkutsk Oblast
 * Buryatia
 * Vladivostok

Serbia

 * Free Zone Pirot Slobodna zona Pirot

Spain

 * Barcelona Free Port
 * Port of Vigo

Somaliland

 * Berbera Free Zone DP World BFZ

Tajikistan

 * Sughd Free Economic Zone
 * Panj Free Economic Zone
 * Dangara Free Economic Zone
 * Ishkoshim Free Economic Zone

Free Territory of Trieste
Free Port of Trieste

Turkey

 * See List of free zones of Turkey

Turkmenistan

 * Mary-Baýramaly
 * Okarem-Hazar
 * Turkmenabat-Seidi
 * Bakharden-Serdar
 * Ashgabat-Annau
 * Ashgabat-Bezmein
 * Serakhs
 * Guneshli
 * Ashgabat International Airport
 * Dashoguz Airport

Ukraine

 * Autonomous Republic of Crimea
 * Quarantine Pier of Odessa trade sea port, January 1, 2000, for 25 years
 * Ukraine and EU Free Trade Agreement

United Arab Emirates

 * Ajman Free Zone
 * Dubai Academic City
 * Dubai Airport Free Zone
 * Dubai Internet City
 * Dubai Media City
 * Dubai Multi Commodities Centre
 * Dubai Knowledge Village
 * Dubai Healthcare City
 * Dubai International Financial Center
 * Dubai Science Park
 * Dubai Outsource Zone
 * Dubai Silicon Oasis
 * Dubai Studio City
 * International Media and Production Zone
 * Jebel Ali Free Zone
 * SAIF ZONE Sharjah
 * twofour54 Abu Dhabi
 * Fujairah Free Zone
 * Fujairah Creative City
 * Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone
 * Masdar City Free Zone Abu Dhabi

United Kingdom

 * London Docklands
 * Bristol Suburbs

United States

 * Foreign-trade zones of the United States

Vietnam

 * Dung Quất
 * Chu Lai
 * Nghi Sơn
 * Vân Đồn
 * Vân Phong
 * Phú Quốc

Yemen

 * Aden Free Zone