Brazilian President Michel Temer signed today a decree creating the Açu Export Processing Zone (ZPE), located in the São João da Barra Industrial District. The ceremony, held at the Açu Port Complex, was attended by Trade Minister Marcos Pereira, the President’s Secretary General Moreira Franco, State Governor Luiz Fernando Pezão, legislators and local authorities.
“We are seeing, at this moment, the union of development efforts by the federal and state governments. The region will attain great progress with the ZPE. This enterprise has enormous potential by connecting national and foreign capital very successfully,” said President Temer.
With an area of 2 km², the ZPE will be located 10 km away from the Port of Açu’s Multicargo Terminal (T-MULT) and will rely on road infrastructure for transportation of cargo of different kinds and sizes. Currently with 500 m of quayside and nearly 200,000 m2 of customs area, the terminal started operations in 2016 and handles solid bulk, project cargo, vehicles, containers, etc.
IMG_6581.jpg“The Açu ZPE is expected to generate around R$ 40 million in investments in local infrastructure just in its first phase of implementation. It is not just about boosting Brazilian exports, which is an extraordinary feat in itself, but also about encouraging the development of local and regional industries. The port increases Brazilian output, adds value to the export base, promotes technology diffusion in Brazil and, most importantly, creates jobs in a gigantic production chain,” said Trade Minister Marcos Pereira.
Rio de Janeiro Governor Luiz Fernando Pezão thanked local entrepreneurs: “Açu is today an oasis in Brazil.”
Another advantage of the port is the implementation of the Açu Gas Hub, with two thermal power plants generating 3 GW and a regasification terminal with 42 million m³ in daily capacity. With R$ 7 billion in estimated investments, the Hub is another attractive feature for companies that use gas as an input to set up facilities at the Açu ZPE.
Furthermore, the Port of Açu will rely on a rail stretch that will connect it to the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Vitória. The high-capacity railway will enable transportation of several kinds of products, including bulk, ornamental rocks and grains.
“We end 2017 on a high note. Once again, we celebrate here at the Port the country where things work. The Açu Port Complex will be Brazil’s largest logistics and industrial hub. And one of the largest industrial hubs in the world. All Açu features lead us to sustainable social-economic development,” said José Magela, CEO of Prumo Logística, the developer and operator of the Port of Açu.
São João da Barra Mayor Carla Machado emphasized that Açu is a unique endeavor in the State: “The ZPE will speed up the attraction of industrial plants to the region, creating more jobs and income.”
ZPE
The Açu ZPE will be the first in Northern Rio de Janeiro State and the 26th in Brazil (just one is operating at the moment). The Açu ZPE is expected to start operations within 24 months.
ZPEs are free trade areas dedicated to companies whose exports represent 80% of output. Companies located inside a ZPE benefit from fiscal incentives and are exempt from federal taxes such as the import tax (II), tax on industrialized products (IPI), social contribution from gross revenues (PIS), social contribution from profits (Cofins), and the added freight fee for the renewal of the civil navy framework (AFRMM).
