IMPROVING LOGISTICS COULD ATTRACT MORE COMPANIES TO MANAUS FREE ZONE

Being in the Manaus Free Zone (May) which was created in 1957 5 ^ IT can mean important exemptions, such as the Industrialized Products Tax (IPI), which is always advantageous for companies. However, there is not only the bonus, there is also the burden of having a factory in the region, which is far from the most populous states and which, consequently, consume the majority of products produced in the ZFM.

The Manaus Free Trade Zone was created in 1957 with the objective of promoting the development of the region with industrialization and job creation. However, some difficulties have become evident in recent times. Joao Domingos, partner of BDO responsible for the branch of Manaus, highlights the logistical difficulties that companies in the region face.

“Most people do not imagine all the logistics that involves the transport of goods produced in Manaus. The road and ferry transport takes, on average, 12 days to arrive in Sao Paulo, before being distributed to other states.

Domingos explains that the lack of a wider road network and the high cost of air transport make transportation by ferry and trucks the most sought after, despite the logistics being much more time consuming. “These high transport costs cause many companies to reevaluate the installation of new companies, since it practically cancels part of the tax benefits”, he highlights.

Even with all these difficulties, the revenue of the companies of the Industrial Pole of Manaus has grown over the last years, except for 2023 when it was practically stable. The generation of direct jobs reaches 112 thousand, a number that also advances year by year. “It is an undeniable contribution to the economy of the country. Therefore invest in structure and in new modes of transport so that the ZFM continues to grow”, he points out.