Artigos

1 minuto Foreign-trade zones (FTZs or zones) provide tariff savings and other benefits to companies that engage in import and export operations in the United States. These benefits were provided by Congress beginning in 1934 to encourage U.S. economic activity in manufacturing and distribution, and employment that might otherwise be performed abroad. Economic analysis of the effects of FTZs is limited, particularly the impact of FTZs on economic activity and jobs in localities with operational zones. To remedy this deficiency, the National Association of Continue lendo→

menos de 1 minuto Special economic zones (SEZs) have spread rapidly over the past 20 years, including in many low- and middle-income countries keen to attract private investment for industrial development. But while much debate has focused on their economic performance and success factors, there are concerns over land expropriations, poor labour conditions and lost public revenues. These concerns are often partly rooted in the legal regimes that underpin SEZs — their failure to protect affected people, their exempting SEZs from national laws or Continue lendo→

5 minutos An uncharacteristic element of uncertainty crept into the annual free-zone conference organised by Azofras in San José, which brings together the main players of Costa Rica’s successful free-trade zone (FTZ) programme. President Carlos Alvarado had opened the event by reassuring the audience of his commitment to preserving benefits for companies operating under a FTZ regime. A few hours later, news spread that the National Assembly had rejected an amendment that would have prevented the introduction of VAT for FTZ companies. As discontent Continue lendo→

4 minutos “There’s a pestilence upon the land” is how one expert on foreign trade zones (FTZs) in the US describes the effect of import tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. He’s not alone in that view, as the new tariffs appear to be undermining the foundations of a programme that was designed to attract foreign investors to the US. The new tariffs are contributing to an atmosphere of uncertainty surrounding FDI in the US, compounded by a new law that intensifies scrutiny of Continue lendo→