ZPE Ceará ends 2023 with 12.2% surge in cargo throughput

In the year of its 10th anniversary, the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) of Ceará, part of the Pecém Complex, saw yet another relevant upswing in cargo throughput. In total, nearly 10 million tonnes of cargo passed through the gates of the Ceará-base free trade zone in 2023, a 12.2% increase compared to 2022.

Throughout last year, 9,975,627 tonnes were handled in ZPE Ceará from January to December, about 1 million more than the year-to-date total in 2022. This result represents over 55% of all cargo movement throughout 2023 at the Pecém Port, an offshore terminal with fully integrated infrastructure with ZPE Ceará.

Top Cargo

The top cargo for ZPE Ceará’s operations was iron ore, accounting for 4.59 million tonnes, a 14.3% increase compared to the 2022 result. Meanwhile, steel plates produced at ArcelorMittal Pecém, a steel mill located in Sector 1 of the Ceará free trade zone, added 2.94 million tonnes to cargo movement, a 9.4% increase from the previous year’s total.

ZPE CEARÁ

ZPE Ceará, Brazil’s first export processing zone, spans 6,182 hectares and is part of the Pecém Complex, a joint venture between the State Government of Ceará and the Port of Rotterdam, Europe’s largest and most important port.

Companies that establish themselves in a ZPE have access to special tax, exchange, administrative treatment, legal security, and simplified bureaucratic procedures. Notably, in Sector 2 of ZPE, an area of over 1,900 hectares, the major industrial units of the Green Hydrogen Hub will be installed—a project aimed at revolutionizing the economy of Ceará over the next few years.

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