The increase in investments and the transformation of free zones into sustainable platforms for global operations and services were the focus of a presentation made by Juan Opertti, director of the Chamber of Free Zones of Uruguay (CZFUY), during the I Meeting of Government Officials and Virtual Working Table on Trade in Knowledge-Based Services.

The meeting, organized by the Latin American Integration Association (Aladi), brought together experts and businessmen from the 13 member countries of the organization, who addressed various aspects related to the topic, such as public policies to support investment and the keys to retaining young talents.

In his presentation, Opertti highlighted the role of free zones in the positioning of Uruguay as a regional distribution logistics hub based on the growing installation of companies that respond favorably to the relocation of administrative and commercial operations with high added value (offshoring) that these spaces offer.

"We are a small country, with a small internal market, and we are continually looking at the world. We export US$4.5 billion in services, of which 50% of Global Services and Logistics leave free zones," he noted.

Companies that operate in any of the twelve Uruguayan free zones carry out commercial, industrial, logistics, global and mixed services activities. According to Opertti, both the legal, political and economic stability that the country offers, as well as the tax exemptions, constitute highly attractive elements for investors.

Another fundamental aspect is the availability of trained labor to respond to the demand of these companies. “When companies come to invest in Uruguay, the first thing they ask is if there are university capacities,” he explained.

Among his suggestions, he said that it is necessary to take into account that costs have a weight of 40% among the decisive factors for the establishment of companies in free zones, while skills and the business microclimate influence 30% respectively.

"We have to be an eligible node to integrate into a global value chain. We must have projects to quickly train personnel in specific areas and with a logistics network capable of making products flow quickly, flexibly and agilely to position them anywhere on the planet. It is no longer about marketing the products that the country generates, but rather they are made in the World”, concluded the director of CZFUY.

FUENTE: https://www.mundomarketing.com/la-mitad-de-los-servicios-exportados-por-uruguay-salen-desde-zonas-francas/