Colon Free Port
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The Colón Free Port Special System is a special fiscal and customs regime with a Free Port structure, applicable to the 16 streets of the city of Colón and the Colón 2000 area. It allows the formal retail sale and purchase of selected products free of taxes and with full guarantees, designed to attract commercial and infrastructure investment, boost economic activity, generate employment, and reactivate local trade. |
The regime allows goods and products traded within the system to benefit from fiscal and customs incentives, promoting competitive prices and fostering commercial activity and economic dynamism in the city.
The Executive Secretariat of Colón Free Port is the entity responsible for promoting and coordinating the operational implementation of the Special Free Port System, under the administration of Panama’s Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI).
General Information
Available Products
At Colón Free Port, the following products, among others, may be purchased:
- Home appliances: refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, and dryers.
- Technology: mobile phones, computers, tablets, televisions.
- Footwear, clothing, and handbags.
- Jewelry, watches, and their parts.
- Perfumes and cosmetics.
- Toys.
Legal Framework
The Colón Free Port special regime is based on:
- Law 29 of 1992, which establishes a Special Free Port System for the province of Colón and enacts other measures, including the amendments approved by Law 7 of 2016 and Law 60 of 2018.
- Executive Decree No. 84 of June 30, 2017: which incorporates products or goods subject to the special fiscal and customs Free Port system.
Key facts:
- 54 active commercial companies employing 342 workers; 10 infrastructure investment companies registered under the special regime.
- As of December 2025, more than 40,000 buyers have been registered within the system, including nationals, residents, and tourists, with over 208,000 cumulative commercial transactions recorded in 2025, totaling more than B/.25 million.
Benefits
Tourists and transit passengers:
- 0% Selective Consumption Tax (ISC).
- 0% ITBMS (Value Added Tax).
- No purchase amount limit.
- Warranty on purchased goods.
Panamanian nationals and foreign residents:
- 0% Selective Consumption Tax (ISC).
- 0% ITBMS (Value Added Tax).
- Benefit applicable to semiannual purchases up to B/. 1,000.00 and annual purchases up to B/. 2,000.00.
- Warranty on purchased goods.
Incentives for Infrastructure Investors:
- 0% import tax on equipment and materials for the remodeling or restoration of real estate.
- 0% real estate transfer tax for 2 years.
- 0% property tax for 30 years.
- 0% income tax on profits for 10 years.
- Access to tax credits for financing.
Incentives for Commercial and Import Investors:
- Exemption from import tax on equipment and materials used for their operations (excluding automobiles).
- Tax credits on goods marketed within Colón Free Port that have been previously nationalized.
Statistics
Total value of commercial transactions (USD): 2017 – 2025
Total transactions completed (invoices issued): 2017 – 2025
Registered Buyers
Number of new buyers registered per year in the Colón Puerto Libre Special System
Note: Includes Panamanian buyers, residents, and tourists.
Source: Executive Secretariat of Colón Puerto Libre | Ministry of Commerce and Industries.
Last updated: January 2026.
Contact
Carlos Manuel Gómez Rudy - Secretario Ejecutivo de Colón Puerto Libre
Phone: Panamá 560-5814 Ext 5814 / Colón 475-4706 Ext 4706
Email : [email protected]
Email : [email protected]
Website:
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