ZPE - Zona de Processamento de Exportação do Ceará

What ZPE - Zona de Processamento de Exportação do Ceará does

ZPE Ceará is a Brazilian state-owned Export Processing Zone (Free Trade Zone) located within the Complexo do Pecém in São Gonçalo do Amarante, Ceará. It was founded in 2010 and became the first ZPE to enter commercial operation in Brazil in 2016, and it is administered as part of CIPP S.A., a joint venture between the Government of the State of Ceará and the Port of Rotterdam. The zone offers 6,182 hectares of industrial land (Setor I: 1,251 ha; Setor II: 1,911 ha; plus expansion sectors) co-located with the Porto do Pecém — the customs dispatch area (ADA) is only 6 km from the port — and a 20 km customs perimeter.

The core product is industrial infrastructure with integrated customs processing, warehousing (4,000 m² covered warehouse with elevated dock, weighing scales up to 120 tons), and 24/7 gate operations. Tenant companies operate under Brazilian federal law (Lei 11.508/2007 and Lei 14.184/2021) with 20-year guaranteed tax and customs benefits, including suspension/exemption of II, IPI, PIS/PASEP, COFINS, and ICMS, up to 75% IRPJ reduction via SUDENE, 100% foreign exchange freedom, and elimination of the prior 20% cap on domestic sales. Revenue is generated through negotiated paid-use contracts (Contrato de Cessão de Uso Onerosa) for industrial land and associated services; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The platform also anchors the HUB de Hidrogênio Verde, a green hydrogen initiative linked to ArcelorMittal Pecém's decarbonization roadmap.

Installed tenants include ArcelorMittal Pecém (3 million tonnes/year steel plate capacity, 20,000+ direct/indirect jobs on 5.71 million m²), Phoenix do Pecém (R$ 86 million slag-processing investment), and White Martins (the largest industrial gases unit in Brazil, representing Linde). Additional operating subsidiaries within the broader complex include TB Transportes and Termaco (port handling and logistics). The entity reports cumulative cargo throughput of 95 million tonnes since inception and holds consecutive A3P (sustainability) and TCE Ceará (governance/transparency) certifications since 2018–2019.

Name

ZPE - Zona de Processamento de Exportação do Ceará

Legal name

Zona de Processamento de Exportação do Ceará (ZPE Ceará)

Website

https://zpeceara.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Brazil's first operational Export Processing Zone, a state-owned free trade zone in Ceará providing 6,182 hectares of tax-advantaged industrial land co-located with the Pecém Port for export-oriented manufacturers and the green hydrogen ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Zones & Free Trade Zone Services

akta.pro primary industry

Customs Clearance & Border Trade Facilitation (BPAIADAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Export Customs Clearance (Export Declarations & AES/EEI) (TLACAFAB)

Keywords

• Export processing zone
• Free trade zone
• Industrial infrastructure
• Tax incentive zones
• Customs bonded warehousing

Headquarters

HQ city

São Gonçalo Do Amarante

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Industrial Area Leasing: Companies pay for the use of ZPE-designated industrial areas through paid use contracts (Contrato de Cessão de Uso Onerosa). Pricing is negotiated during the pre-contract phase.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ZPE Ceará operates the first Export Processing Zone (Free Trade Zone) to enter operation in Brazil, providing 6,182 hectares of industrial infrastructure with special tax, customs, and administrative treatment for export-oriented companies. The zone integrates directly with the Port of Pecém (6 km distance) and offers suspension/exemption of federal taxes (II, IPI, PIS/PASEP, COFINS), state tax (ICMS), and SUDENE incentives of up to 75% IRPJ reduction. Companies install through a six-step approval process and operate under a 20-year guaranteed benefit regime.

Product overview

ZPE Ceará operates as a unified Free Trade Zone (Zona de Processamento de Exportação) platform offering industrial zone infrastructure with integrated logistics services. The core offering comprises the main free trade zone area (6,182 hectares), the Green Hydrogen Hub, the Customs Clearance Area (ADA), and operational infrastructure including warehousing and security systems. The ecosystem also includes installed companies such as ArcelorMittal Pecém, Phoenix do Pecém, and White Martins, which operate within the zone under the special tax and customs regime.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HUB de Hidrogênio Verde do Complexo do Pecém: Green Hydrogen Hub initiative focused on creating opportunities and transforming generations through renewable energy projects.

Products and services

• ZPE Ceará Free Trade Zone The core offering of ZPE Ceará is the Export Processing Zone itself, providing 6,182 hectares of industrial infrastructure with special tax, customs, and administrative treatment for export-oriented industrial companies. Includes integrated logistics access to Porto do Pecém.
• HUB de Hidrogênio Verde (Green Hydrogen Hub) A green hydrogen hub within the ZPE Ceará ecosystem focused on creating opportunities and transforming generations through sustainable energy initiatives, aligned with environmental technology development plans.
• Área de Despacho Aduaneiro (ADA) - Customs Clearance Area Customs clearance area spanning 55,000 m² with capacity for over 1,200 containers, located just 6 km from Porto do Pecém, enabling streamlined export-import operations for tenant companies.
• Industrial Installation Services Provides installations, infrastructure, and equipment necessary for customs authority activities, including a 4,000 m² covered warehouse with elevated dock, weighing scales up to 120 tons, and 24/7 gate operations for tenant companies.

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Porto de Roterdã (Rotterdam Port)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPorto de Roterdã is a joint venture partner in the Complexo do Pecém, which includes ZPE Ceará and Porto do Pecém. This international partnership brings world-class port management expertise and helps position the zone as a strategic hub for exports.
• Governo do Estado do Ceará (Government of Ceará)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe State Government of Ceará is the other joint venture partner in Complexo do Pecém, providing public policy support, infrastructure investment, and regulatory framework for the free trade zone.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Colón Free Zone (Panama): The largest free trade zone in the Western Hemisphere, located adjacent to the Port of Colón. Comparable to ZPE Ceará as a Western-Hemisphere free trade zone offering tax incentives and integrated port logistics to re-export and manufacturing tenants.
• JAFZA (Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority): UAE's flagship free zone operated by DP World, providing tax-incentivized industrial land leasing adjacent to Jebel Ali port. Closely comparable to ZPE Ceará in business model: government-administered FTZ offering land leases, customs facilitation, and tax exemptions to export-oriented industrial tenants.
• Zona Franca de Itajaí: Brazilian state-level free trade zone operator in Santa Catarina focused on export-oriented industry, logistics services, and tax-incentivized industrial leasing. Directly comparable to ZPE Ceará as a domestic Brazilian free-trade zone operator targeting export manufacturers.
• Tanger Free Zone (Tanger Med Zones): Morocco's flagship export-oriented free zone adjacent to Tanger Med port, offering tax and customs incentives to export manufacturers. Directly comparable to ZPE Ceará in scope (industrial land leasing + integrated port logistics + customs facilitation for export manufacturers).
• SUFRAMA (Superintendência da Zona Franca de Manaus): Brazilian federal agency administering the Zona Franca de Manaus, the country's largest and longest-running free-trade zone. Directly comparable to ZPE Ceará as a Brazilian government-administered free trade zone offering tax/customs incentives to export-oriented industrial tenants.

Broad incumbents

• DP World: Global port operator that also develops and operates free-trade zones (including JAFZA). Comparable to ZPE Ceará as a much larger incumbent that combines port operations with FTZ industrial-park development, and is also the parent of a comparable free-zone operator.
• Shenzhen Special Economic Zone: China's pioneering Special Economic Zone with export-oriented industrial parks, tax incentives, and integrated port logistics. Comparable in concept to ZPE Ceará as a government-administered export-processing zone, though at vastly larger scale.

Others

• PSA International: Global port operator with adjacent free-trade-zone and logistics-park operations, and a co-development partner to several free-trade zones worldwide. Adjacent peer because it operates the port-side infrastructure that ZPE Ceará depends on, and competes for similar tenant-customers in port-adjacent industrial parks.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/complexodopecem
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/ComplexodoPec%C3%A9m/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/complexodopecem
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cippsa/?originalSubdomain=br
• Instagraminstagram.com/complexodopecem/?hl=en

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries5 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 ZPE - Zona de Processamento de Exportação do Ceará