World Free Zones OrganiZation Index cards by country

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO FOREIGN TRADE ZONES, FREE ZONES, FREE POINTS, FREE PORT

Index cards realized by the University of Reims, France Conception: F. Bost Data collected by D. Messaoudi Map and layout: S. Piantoni WFZO Index cards - & Tobago

Ofcial Terms for Free Zones Year of promulgation of the frst text of law concerning the Free Zones Foreign Trade Zones, Free Zones, Free Points, Free Port 1988 Free zone act

Possibility to be established as Free Exact number of Free Zones Points Any suitable area in 8 free zones can be designated as a Free Zone by the Minister of Trade and Industry.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Free Zones ...... 4 General information ...... 4 Contacts ...... 5 List of Free Zones ...... 5 Active companies in Free Zones ...... 6 Free Zones Web sites selection ...... 6

Bibliography ...... 7

Appendices ...... 7

2 WFZO Index cards - Trinidad & Tobago

Tobago

Scarborough

Toco

Manufacture of Packaging Components & Materials International Trading in Products (Nestlé food products)

Port of Spain Free Zone Venezuela Operator Macuro National Fisheries Tunapuna Compound Sangre Grande International Trading in Products (textiles, household products)

Manufacture of Glazed and Unglazed Point Lisas Manufacture of oilwell Manufacture filters and screens of fuel grade dehydrated ethanol Pointe-à-Pierre Rio Claro

Manufacture of concrete San Fernando weight coating to steel pipe Trinidad

Manufacture of fuel grade dehydrated ethanol Point Fortin Siparia

Venezuela

ACTIVE COMPANIES IN FREE ZONES IN TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

International borders Elevations (meters) 10 km Main cities 0 200 500 1000 Main roads Free Zones

© Sébastien Piantoni - Conception: François Bost EA 2076 Habiter - University of Reims - 2015 Map Projection: WGS 1984

3 WFZO Index cards - Trinidad & Tobago

FREE ZONES

GENERAL INFORMATION

Number of active com- 15 panies in Free Zones

Main sectors of activity Manufacturing, including assembly, provision of services, international trading in products, including regional distribution

Total job numbers Companies in FTZs generally use low-tech production processes and require few industrial skills from workers, so the human capital accumulation efect on the local labor force is weak. Cf.doc annexes

Distribution of Australia, Spain, Surinam, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, USA investors

Exports and sales In 1993-2004, exports from Free zones increased from US$ 6 million to US$ 101 million (WTO). Cf.doc annexes

Free zones contribution No information. to the national eco.

Corporate Tax Free Zone enterprises may be established in any part of the country. They are one hundred percent (100%) exempt from: • Customs duties on capital goods, spare parts for machinery and raw materials for use in the construction and equipping of premises and in connection with the approved activity; • Import and Export duties, taxes or licensing requirements; • Land and Building Taxes; • Fees for Work Permits; • Foreign currency or property ownership restrictions; • Corporate, capital gains, withholding and value added taxes; • Duties on vehicles for use only within the Free Zone. Other benefts include: Exemption from import licensing, or where goods are being shipped other than to Trinidad and Tobago, an exemption from export licensing; Exemption from income tax, corporation tax, business levy where: • 1. the approved enterprise is engaged in the construction, sale, lease, rental and management of a Free Zone as an approved activity; • 2. the approved enterprise is engaged in manufacturing in a Free Zone, or engaged in activities involving international trading in products, including pro- ducts originating in countries which are members of the Caribbean Common Market; • 3. the approved enterprise is engaged in exporting services from Free Zone to a territory other than Trinidad and Tobago; • Exemption from withholding tax on profts of a branch, dividends and other distributions arising from activities in the Free Zone, remitted or deemed to be remitted by an approved enterprise to a non-resident; • Exemption from the requirements of the Foreign Investment Act where (i) a person is seeking to register a company to be established in a Free Zone as an approved enterprise or (ii) a person invests in an approved enterprise establi- shed in a Free Zone or holds interest in land in a Free Zone.

Free Zone law 1988 Free zone act Trinidad and Tobago Free Zones Act

4 WFZO Index cards - Trinidad & Tobago

CONTACTS IBP Free zone Tel: 868 646 2507 Fax: 868 646 5609 Cell: 868 788 7916 e‐mail: [email protected]

TTFZ Trinidad and Tobago Free Zones Company Ltd. (TTFZ) Albion Court 2nd Floor West 61 Dundonald Street Trinidad, West Indies Tel: (868) 625-4749 or 623-8363 Fax: (868) 625-4755 Email: [email protected] Opening hours: 8:30 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday, except public holidays

LIST OF FREE ZONES The Free Zones Act of 1988 (last amended in 1997) established the Trinidad & Tobago Free Zones Company (TTFZ) to promote export development and encourage both foreign and local investment projects in a relatively bureaucra- cy-free, duty-free and tax-free environment. There are currently 15 approved enterprises located in eight Free Zones. The majority are located within a multiple-user site in D’Abadie, Trinidad, but any suitable area in TT can be designated as a Free Zone by the Minister of Trade and Industry. Name Location surface area Observations Point Lisas Point Lisas - Most manufacturing companies whose activity Industrial is related to oil are located in the industrial area Estate of Point Lisas, which enjoys the privileges of free zone and whose management is entrusted to the company’s development of the industrial port of Point Lisas (PLIPDECO), in which the State holds a majority stake (51 %). Intercon- Guaynabo area, on the northern 2.5 hectares The IBP Free Zone is the only such multi-user tinental coast of Puerto Rico. of fully deve- free zone facility in the country and has been Business Park loped lands in operation since 1995. The Free Zone caters Free Zone with 5 buil- for manufacturing, assembly, re-packaging, dings tota- trans-shipments (fnished goods) and services ling 200,000 e.g. software development, call centre and data square feet processing. thereon.

5 WFZO Index cards - Trinidad & Tobago

ACTIVE COMPANIES IN FREE ZONES International Trading in Products (textiles, household products) Other Enterprises located here are Deban Ltd., Quality Services Ltd.,IBP Free Zone Ltd., Regency Traders Ltd. (T&T), North American Trading Co. Ltd. (T&T), OCR Company Ltd., (T&T/Suriname), Western Plastics Ltd. and Medullan (Trinidad) Ltd.

Free Zone Operator Other Enterprises located here are Western Plastics Ltd. (T&T), Quality Services Ltd., Deban Ltd., Regency Traders Ltd. (T&T), North American Trading Co. Ltd. (T&T), OCR Company Ltd. (T&T/Suriname), Bois Fleur Ltd. (T&T) and Medullan (Trinidad) Ltd.

International Trading in Products (Nestlé food products) Churchill-Roosevelt Highway, Valsayn

National Fisheries Compound Production Avenue, Sea Lots. Processing of fsh and other seafood products and by-products

Manufacture of Packaging Components & Matérials Bldg 14 Fernandes Industrial Centre, Laventile

Manufacture of Glazed and Unglazed Clay Products Chaguanas

Manufacture of oilwell flters and screens Other Enterprises located here are TCL Ponsa Manufacturing Ltd (T&T/Spain) and Ethylchem Ltd (USA)

Manufacture of fuel grade dehydrated ethanol Other Enterprises located here are TCL Ponsa Manufacturing Ltd (T&T/Spain) and Screen Manufacturing Com- pany Ltd. (USA)

Manufacture of concrete weight coating to steel pipe Union Estate, La Brea

Manufacture of fuel grade dehydrated ethanol Refnery Road, Of Guapo, Cap-de-Ville, Point Fortin

FREE ZONES WEB SITES SELECTION • www.eteck.co.tt • www.tradeind.gov.tt • www.customs.gov.tt • www.ttbs.org.tt • http://www.plipdeco.com/main/ • http://www.ttconnect.gov.tt/gortt/portal/

6 WFZO Index cards - Trinidad & Tobago

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (1999) Handbook of Key Economic Statistics for Trinidad and Tobago. Port of Spain: Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago. Government of Trinidad and Tobago (1981) Trinidad and Tobago Town and Country Planning Act. In 1981. ILO (2003). Employment and social policy in respect of export processing zones (EPZs). International Labor Ofce, Governing Body, Committee on Employment and Social Policy. Geneva: ILO. Reisdorph, D.H. (1991) Industrial Parks as an economic development asset. Economic Development Review, 9, 4, 29.

APPENDICES

Number of companies and Employment in the TTFTZ

http://www.iadb.org/res/publications/pubfles/pubIDB-WP-115.pdf

7 WFZO Index cards - Trinidad & Tobago

Sources and destination of FDI

Source: http://cdis.imf.org

Exports form companies located at the TTFTZ

Source: http://www.iadb.org/res/publications/pubfles/pubIDB-WP-115.pdf

8