Poti Free Industrial Zone

What Poti Free Industrial Zone does

Poti Free Industrial Zone (Poti FIZ) is Georgia's oldest and largest free industrial zone and the first tax-exempt area in the Caucasus, established in 2008 and headquartered in Poti with a representative office in Tbilisi. The zone spans approximately 300 hectares adjacent to Poti seaport, one of the largest Black Sea ports, with direct access to international rail and road networks, two 24/7 customs checkpoints, and is positioned on the historic Silk Road and Belt and Road corridor between Europe and Asia. It is the only free industrial zone in Georgia where the Government of Georgia holds equity shares, and it operates as a strategic business unit within Smart Capital Group, one of Georgia's leading private investment holdings with 1,000+ employees across multiple sectors.

Poti FIZ generates revenue through land leasing (plots from 1,000 sq.m.), pre-built warehouse rentals (241-608 sq.m.), six categories of perpetual operating licenses (Manufacturing, General Trade, Special Trade, Warehousing, Consultation, Business Support Services), utility services delivered through wholly-owned subsidiary Poti FIZ Utilities Co. LLC, legal address services, and 24/7 customs handling. Its technology stack includes a single-window digital portal providing investors remote access to company information and a digitized remote registration system enabling one-day company formation, both developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tenants benefit from a 0% tax regime on imports, VAT, corporate income, and property, plus access to free trade agreements covering a 2.3 billion population market spanning the EU, China, Turkey, CIS countries, and EFTA.

The zone serves approximately 120 registered companies, the majority trading firms, with roughly 10 production enterprises spanning lubricants, tires, alcohol, perfumes, roofing products, automotive components, hazelnut processing, textiles, and microchips. Go-to-market combines a multilingual website (English, Russian, Chinese), weekly webinars in English and Russian, an agent commission network, and active participation in international economic forums. Notable strategic partnerships include the World Free Zone Organization (Georgia's official representative since October 2020), the Russian Association of Industrial Parks, the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, the US Embassy in Georgia (for grants and DFC financing), and cooperation with Poti Port, Georgian Railway, and Poti City Hall on regional infrastructure expansion including a potential new deep-water port.

Name

Poti Free Industrial Zone

Legal name

Poti Free Industrial Zone

Website

https://potifreezone.ge

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Poti Free Industrial Zone is Georgia's oldest and largest tax-free industrial zone, operating approximately 300 hectares adjacent to Poti seaport. It serves manufacturing, trading, logistics, and distribution companies with land/warehouse leasing, six license categories, utilities, customs, and digital registration services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Free Industrial Zone Services

NAICS

Warehousing and Storage (493), Other Warehousing and Storage (493190)

akta.pro primary industry

Customs Bonded Distribution Centers (In-Bond DCs) (TLALAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bonded Warehouses (Customs-Bonded Storage Facilities) (TLALAGAA), Bonded Container Yards & In-Bond Depot Storage (TLALAGAE), Full Container Storage Yards (Loaded Container Yards) (TLALAJAD)

Keywords

• Free industrial zone
• Land leasing services
• Customs clearance services
• Warehousing facilities
• Manufacturing licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Tbilisi

HQ country

Georgia

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Land Lease: Poti FIZ offers land parcels of various sizes for short-term and long-term leasing. Land plots start from 1,000 sq.m to larger areas based on client requirements. Companies can build warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and logistics operations including container storage.
2. Warehouse Rental: Pre-built warehouses ranging from 241 sq.m to 608 sq.m suitable for storage and light industrial activities. Warehouses come with existing electrical connections, fire detection systems, and floor loading capacity of 5 tons per sq.m.
3. Licensing: Companies must obtain licenses for operations in Poti FIZ. License types include: Manufacturing, General Trade, Special Trade, Warehousing, Consultation, and Business Support Services. FIZ issues licenses based on Georgian Law on Free Industrial Zones.
4. Utility Services: Operational and technical services provided through 100% subsidiary Poti FIZ Utilities Co. LLC including cargo handling (pallet, non-pallet, specific cargo), customs clearance support, power network connection, water supply, sewage, and natural gas connection services.
5. Legal Address Services: Provision of legal addresses within the Free Industrial Zone with fixed annual fee including postal address and courier package reception services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Poti Free Industrial Zone is a tax-exempt industrial park in Georgia providing land leases (from 1,000 sq.m.), pre-built warehouses (241–608 sq.m.), business licenses (manufacturing, trading, warehousing, consulting, business support), legal address services, and utility infrastructure (electricity, water, gas, sewage) to registered companies seeking duty-free access to EU, CIS, and Asian markets. It also provides 24/7 customs services with cargo clearance in 30 minutes through two checkpoints and a single-window digital platform for investor onboarding.

Product overview

Poti Free Industrial Zone is a physical free industrial zone infrastructure rather than a software product. It offers a unified platform of business establishment services including land leasing (from 1,000 sq.m.), pre-built warehouses (241-608 sq.m.), legal address services, and various license types (manufacturing, general trading, special trading, warehousing, consulting, business support services). The zone provides utilities management (electricity, water, gas, sewage) through its subsidiary Poti FIZ Utilities Co., 24/7 customs services, and recently developed digital systems including a single-window digital portal for investors and remote company registration. The zone spans approximately 300 hectares with over 15 hectares currently occupied by investors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Land Leasing Land plots of various sizes (from 1,000 sq.m. upwards) available for short-term and long-term lease for manufacturing, storage, logistics, and container storage operations, with direct access to regional and international rail and road networks.
• Warehouse Facilities Pre-built warehouses ranging from 241 sq.m. to 608 sq.m. suitable for storage and light industrial activities, with existing electrical connections, fire detection systems, and floor loading capacity of 5 tons per sq.m.
• Manufacturing License One-time perpetual license authorizing manufacturing, production, fabrication, and assembly operations within the free industrial zone, issued under Georgian Law on Free Industrial Zones.
• General Trade License One-time perpetual license for import-export of a wide assortment of products through the free industrial zone.
• Special Trade License One-time perpetual license for import-export of a single product line through the free industrial zone.
• Warehousing License One-time perpetual license for the development of warehouse complexes for subleasing purposes within the free industrial zone.
• Consultation License One-time perpetual license for providing consulting services within the free industrial zone.
• Business Support Services License One-time perpetual license for various types of services including material support services within the free industrial zone.
• Legal Address Services Provision of a legal address within the free industrial zone at a fixed annual fee, including postal address and courier package reception services.
• Utility Services Operational and technical services including electricity network connection, water supply, sewage systems, and natural gas connection, delivered through wholly-owned subsidiary Poti FIZ Utilities Co. LLC.
• Customs Services 24/7 customs services with two checkpoints for road and rail cargo, simplified customs clearance procedures, and cargo inspection in 30 minutes using modern customs infrastructure.
• Company Registration Service Business registration service enabling investors to register a company within one working day, with no minimum capital requirements, no local partner requirements, and a personal assistant assigned to manage all FIZ-related issues.

Quantifiable outcome

• Company registration and license issuance completed within 1 working day
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Russian Association of Industrial ParksmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2021First official webinar held with support of Russian Association of Industrial Parks for Russian businessmen and companies. Webinar introduced investment opportunities of Georgia and Poti FIZ. Attended by American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, Russian industrial park directors, and heads of manufacturing and trading companies.
• American Chamber of Commerce in RussiaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2021Participated in joint webinar with Russian Association of Industrial Parks targeting Russian businessmen and companies interested in Poti FIZ investment opportunities.
• World Free Zone Organization (WFZO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2020Poti FIZ appointed as official representative of Georgia in the World Free Zone Organization, the largest international association of 1,700 free zone entities globally. Partnership provides access to experience sharing, workshops, B2B meetings, educational tools, online webinars, and networking services throughout the year.
• US Embassy in GeorgiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2020Poti FIZ Director held online meeting with US Ambassador Kelly Degnan. Discussed hazelnut processing factory project completed with assistance of Georgian Embassy in the United States. Interest expressed in grants from US Embassy, USAID, and U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).
• Georgian RailwayminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2020Consultations underway with Poti City Hall, Poti Port, and Georgian Railway administrations regarding construction of access roads to proposed new deep-water port.
• Poti City HallminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2020Joint discussions on construction of new alternative bypass road connecting terminals and coast. Meeting attended by Mayor of Poti Gocha Kurdghelia and Poti FIZ Director Davit Ebralidze.
• Poti PortcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2020Poti FIZ located adjacent to Poti seaport. Consultations ongoing regarding new deep-water port construction that will directly connect port to Poti FIZ and international rail and transport highways.
• Government of GeorgiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoti FIZ is the only free zone in Georgia where the Government of Georgia holds shares as a shareholder. Government closely cooperates with Poti FIZ in promoting Georgia as a unique regional business, trade, and logistics center.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Colombo Port City: Sri Lankan free zone and special economic area with tax incentives for international companies. Comparable in operating as a customs-bonded hub for South Asia–Middle East–East Asia trade.

Broad incumbents

• Hamriyah Free Zone Authority: UAE-based free zone offering land lease, warehousing, and licensing to international manufacturers and traders. Operates the same free-zone infrastructure business model targeting multinational tenants.
• Adani Special Economic Zone (Mundra SEZ): Large Indian port-adjacent special economic zone providing land lease, warehousing, and manufacturing infrastructure with tax incentives. Comparable in bundling port logistics with industrial zone services.
• Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE): Large-scale Egyptian free zone at a strategic maritime chokepoint, providing bonded logistics, manufacturing zones, and tax incentives. Comparable in serving as a manufacturing/trade hub for Africa-Europe-Asia corridors.
• Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (JAFZA): One of the world's largest free zones, offering bonded warehousing, customs services, and license-based tenancy to global manufacturers and traders. Comparable business model and revenue streams at materially larger scale.
• Tanger Med Zones: Moroccan free zones adjacent to Tanger Med port, providing bonded warehousing, manufacturing, and trade services targeting EU, African, and Mediterranean markets. Comparable port-adjacent free-zone model.

Regional players

• Sviyazhsk Multimodal Logistics Center: Russian multimodal logistics and bonded warehousing complex serving as a CIS-region cargo hub. Comparable in operating bonded storage and customs services for Eurasian trade flows.
• Astana International Financial Centre: Central Asian special economic zone offering tax incentives, regulatory advantages, and infrastructure for international companies targeting Eurasian markets. Comparable in attracting FDI through tax and regulatory benefits.

Direct peers

• Batumi Free Zone: Another Georgian free zone on the Black Sea coast, offering comparable tax-free trade, warehousing, and manufacturing benefits. Direct competitor for FDI into Georgia targeting the same Caucasus/CIS/EU corridor.
• Khorgos International Centre for Boundary Cooperation: Major free trade zone on the China-Kazakhstan border along the Belt and Road corridor. Comparable as a bonded warehousing/customs hub connecting Asian manufacturing to European and CIS markets, with similar tax-free incentives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fizpoti
• Facebookfacebook.com/potifreezone
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/poti-free-industrial-zone-5113b8112

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Poti Free Industrial Zone