Zona Franca De Barranquilla

What Zona Franca De Barranquilla does

Zona Franca de Barranquilla S.A. U.O.Z.F. is a private Colombian free-trade-zone operator established in 1993 and headquartered at Carrera 30 Avenida Hamburgo in Barranquilla. It leases industrial lots and warehouses, structures project installations, and provides foreign-trade advisory and operator services to companies operating under the Colombian free-trade-zone regime (Régimen Franco) established by Law 1004 of 2005 and Decree 1165 of 2019. The company's ecosystem hosts more than 100 tenant companies across manufacturing, agro-industry, logistics, chemicals, cement, biofuels, and leather goods — including ADAMA Andina, Ultracem, CORPACERO, Atlantik Bio, Portmagdalena, TRANSCONT, and Extractora Loma Fresca Sur de Bolívar — and generated 2024 trade flows reported in "US$ millions" across inputs and outputs to the rest of the world (specific values not disclosed in source).

The company operates the e-Franco® technology platform to simplify foreign-trade processes and integrates CCTV surveillance and real-time vehicle geolocation across the zone. It markets recurring lot and warehouse rentals on an annual billing cadence, alongside professional advisory fees; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Distribution is primarily direct, executed through named commercial executives (Brenda Vergara, Laura Monzon Guzman) under President Cesar Caro Castellar, with co-marketing partnerships supporting investment promotion: ProBarranquilla, ProColombia, AmCham Barranquilla y Atlántico, Greater Miami Chamber, Global Atlanta, and the Cámara de Comercio de Barranquilla. The company operates wholly-owned subsidiaries Zofia Zona Franca (special permanent free trade zones) and e-Franco (the technology platform), plus the Fundación Zona Franca de Barranquilla corporate foundation, and in 2025 expanded its real-estate offering to a new 11,804 m² lot in Santa Marta.

Name

Zona Franca De Barranquilla

Legal name

Zona Franca de Barranquilla S.A. U.O.Z.F.

Website

https://zonafrancabarranquilla.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Zona Franca de Barranquilla is a Colombian free-trade-zone operator (since 1993) that leases industrial lots and warehouses in Barranquilla and Santa Marta, hosts 100+ tenant companies, and provides foreign-trade advisory and the e-Franco technology platform under the Régimen Franco tax regime.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Free Trade Zone Operations and Industrial Real Estate

NAICS

Warehousing and Storage (493), General Warehousing and Storage (493110), Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (5324)

SIC

Services-Equipment Rental & Leasing, Nec (7359), Wholesale-Durable Goods, Nec (5099)

akta.pro primary industry

Bonded Container Yards & In-Bond Depot Storage (TLALAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Customs Declaration & Filing (Import/Export Entry) Platforms (TLAEAOAA), Customs Clearance & Border Trade Facilitation (BPAIADAF), In-Transit & Special Regimes Processing (Transit, TIR/ATA Carnet, Temporary Import/Export) (TLACAFAJ), Trade Facilitation & Customs Modernization (BPADAMAB)

Keywords

• Free trade zone operations
• Industrial real estate leasing
• Warehouse leasing services
• Foreign trade facilitation
• Logistics infrastructure services

Headquarters

HQ city

Barranquilla

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Real Estate Rental - Lots and Warehouses: Rental and sale of industrial lots and warehouses to companies operating under the free trade zone regime. Properties available for installation or expansion of operations in a competitive and connected environment.
2. Free Trade Zone Operator Services: Operation and administration of permanent and special permanent free trade zones with experience, support, and knowledge of the free trade regime.
3. Comprehensive Advisory Services: Specialized support in foreign trade, regulatory updates, and training for more efficient operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Zona Franca de Barranquilla operates permanent and special permanent free trade zones in Barranquilla, Colombia, providing industrial lots and warehouses for sale and rental to national and international companies. The company also delivers foreign trade advisory services, regulatory support, and the e-Franco technology platform to simplify customs and operational processes within the zone. With over 100 companies operating in its ecosystem, it serves as a regulatory, logistics, and real estate hub for businesses seeking to install, operate, or expand in Colombia.

Product overview

Zona Franca de Barranquilla operates as a free trade zone operator offering a comprehensive ecosystem of industrial infrastructure and services. The core offering includes the operation of permanent and special permanent free trade zones (Operación de Zonas Francas), industrial lots and warehouses (Lotes y Bodegas), and the e-Franco® technology platform for foreign trade process management. Supplementary services include project structuring (Estructuración de Proyectos) and specialized advisory (Asesorías Integrales). The company also operates ZOFIA Zona Franca as a sub-brand for special permanent free trade zone services. Over 100 companies currently operate within this ecosystem, benefiting from tax exemptions, customs efficiency, and an environment designed for expansion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• e-Franco: Technology platform that simplifies foreign trade processes and facilitates operational management within the free trade zone.

Products and services

• Operación de Zonas Francas (Free Trade Zone Operation) Operation and management of permanent and special permanent free trade zones, providing legal, regulatory, and operational support under the Colombian free trade regime for companies establishing operations in Colombia.
• Lotes y Bodegas (Industrial Lots and Warehouses) Rental and sale of industrial lots and warehouses within the free trade zone for companies seeking to install or expand operations in a competitive and connected environment.
• e-Franco Technology Platform Technology platform that simplifies foreign trade processes and facilitates operational management for companies operating under the free trade regime, including integration with surveillance and geolocation systems.
• Asesorías Integrales (Comprehensive Advisory Services)

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% income tax rate vs 33% standard rate for zone users
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• ProBarranquillacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 August 2023Regional investment promotion agency that leads investment attraction initiatives for Barranquilla and the Atlántico department. ProBarranquilla organized investment missions to Miami, Atlanta, Bogotá, and Medellín with Zona Franca de Barranquilla as a key participant to promote the region as a nearshoring hub for US companies.
• ProColombiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 August 2023National investment promotion agency supporting regional investment missions. Provided backing for the investment attraction mission to the United States with ProBarranquilla and Zona Franca de Barranquilla.
• AmCham Barranquilla y AtlánticomajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2023American Chamber of Commerce local chapter that organized commercial visits to Miami, facilitating business-to-business networking between Barranquilla and Miami companies. More than 140 business meetings were conducted during the 'Connecting Barranquilla with South Florida' event.
• Greater Miami ChambermajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2023Business chamber in Miami that collaborated on investment promotion seminars during the US investment mission to attract nearshoring companies.
• Global AtlantamajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2023Business network organization that co-hosted investment promotion seminars during the US trade mission.
• Georgia Hispanic Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2023Hispanic business chamber in Georgia that participated in a roundtable discussion with Barranquilla entrepreneurs during the investment mission.
• Puerto de BarranquillacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPort authority of Barranquilla included in investment promotion delegations to highlight the integrated logistics infrastructure of the Caribbean region alongside Zona Franca de Barranquilla.
• Zona Franca ZofiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated free trade zone operated by the same organization, included in joint investment promotion missions and shared ecosystem of free trade zone users.
• Zona Franca La CayenamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional free trade zone included in investment promotion delegations to showcase the Caribbean region's free trade zone ecosystem.
• Clúster Logístico CoremarmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLogistics cluster included in investment promotion activities to highlight the integrated logistics capabilities of the Atlantic region.
• Cámara de Comercio de BarranquillamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChamber of Commerce of Barranquilla included in investment promotion delegation to the United States.
• DIAN (Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColombian tax and customs authority led by Director Luis Eduardo Llinás, conducting institutional visits to analyze free trade zone challenges and opportunities, optimize customs management, promote digitalization, and strengthen communication between authorities and zone users.
• AmCham ColombiamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliation with American Chamber of Commerce in Colombia for bilateral business networking and investment promotion.
• ANDI (Asociación Nacional de Empresarios de Colombia)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation with Colombia's main business association, ANDI, representing business interests and participating in free trade zone policy discussions.
• FITACmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation with FITAC (Colombian Federation of Customs Agents), involved in addressing customs and logistics challenges for the Barranquilla region.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Zona Franca Bogotá: Direct Colombian FTZ operator and the country's largest free trade zone, competing for the same multinational manufacturing and logistics tenants under the same Law 1004/2005 regime. Most direct head-to-head competitor for ZFBAQ's industrial lot and warehousing offering.
• Zona Franca de Cartagena: Colombian Caribbean-coast FTZ operator with deep-water port adjacency; directly competes for nearshoring and port-adjacent industrial tenants in the same geography as ZFBAQ. Operates the same regulatory regime with similar tax/customs benefits.
• Zona Franca Santander (Bucaramanga): Colombian FTZ operator targeting Andean-northeast industrial tenants with bonded warehousing and trade services; operates under the same regulatory regime and offers comparable lot leasing and customs facilitation services to manufacturers and logistics users.
• Zona Franca de Rionegro (Antioquia): Colombian FTZ operator serving the Medellín/Andean industrial corridor; competes for agro-industrial and manufacturing tenants under the same Colombian FTZ regime with similar lot/warehouse rental and customs service offerings.
• Zona Franca de Cali (Zona Franca del Pacífico): Pacific-coast Colombian FTZ operator competing for export-oriented manufacturers leveraging Buenaventura port. Comparable service mix (lot leasing, warehousing, customs services) under identical regulatory framework, often winning tenants ZFBAQ targets for Asia-Pacific trade flows.

Broad incumbents

• Prologis: Global industrial real estate giant operating logistics warehouses worldwide including in Colombia. While not a free zone operator per se, Prologis represents the broad incumbent benchmark for industrial lot/warehouse leasing economics and could partner with or compete against ZFBAQ for industrial tenants in the region.
• Colón Free Zone (Panama): Largest free zone in the Western Hemisphere and the dominant regional incumbent for Latin American nearshoring, re-export, and light manufacturing. Competes with ZFBAQ for multinational tenants evaluating Caribbean/Central American locations and offers a much larger scale of bonded warehousing.
• DP World (including DP World Cartagena): Global port operator and FTZ/free zone developer with a major terminal at Cartagena that competes for port-adjacent industrial tenants in the Colombian Caribbean. Operates bonded warehousing and trade facilitation services comparable to ZFBAQ's offering but at much larger scale.

Emerging players

• Parque Industrial Maquiladora (PIMSA, Mexico): Mexican IMMEX-style industrial park and maquiladora operator targeting US nearshoring. While geographically separate, it competes for the same nearshoring FDI flows that ZFBAQ courts via its Miami/Atlanta trade missions, often winning with shorter US-border transit times.

Regional players

• Multimodal Caucedo (Dominican Republic): Dominican Republic free zone and port logistics hub serving nearshoring tenants targeting the US East Coast. Competes with ZFBAQ for the same nearshoring FDI flows, with comparable maritime access and similar FTZ-style tax incentives tailored to manufacturing exporters.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4zR7jZgyeAtz4tlryb4hzg
• Facebookfacebook.com/zonafrancabaq
• Instagraminstagram.com/p/COOTMr-gLcH/?igshid=1i42hv9f2hddr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

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 Zona Franca De Barranquilla