Free trade zones revoked for Zeta Cartago with fifteen days to liquidate

The Executive Branch revoked, without any liability for the State, the Free Trade Zone Regime granted to Empresa de Servicios Zeta Cartago S. A., through Executive Agreement No. ACU-RZF-0082-2026-COMEX, published in La Gaceta No. 195 on Thursday, October 15, 2026. The company, with legal entity ID 3-101-128726, must liquidate its operations within fifteen days from the notification of the agreement.

The agreement was signed in San José on July 22, 2026, by the President of the Republic, Laura Fernández Delgado, and the Minister of Foreign Trade, Indiana Trejos Gallo. The presidential signature was delegated to Alexander Astorga Monge, Director of the Office of the Presidency, according to Agreement No. 040-P of July 14, 2026, published in La Gaceta No. 133, Supplement No. 91 of July 17, 2026.

The measure is based on articles 140 paragraphs 3) and 18) and 146 of the Political Constitution; numerals 25 paragraph 1, 27 paragraph 1, and 28 paragraph 2 subparagraph b) of the General Law of Public Administration, Law No. 6227; the Free Trade Zone Regime Law, Law No. 7210 of November 23, 1990, and its amendments; Law No. 7638; and Executive Decree No. 34739-COMEX-H of August 29, 2008, Regulations to the Free Trade Zone Regime Law.

Background: the regime granted in 2010

• The regime was granted through Executive Agreement No. 0518-2010 of October 19, 2010, published in La Gaceta No. 250 on December 24, 2010.
• It was modified by Executive Agreement 0464-2012 of November 8, 2012, published in La Gaceta No. 239 on December 11, 2012.
• The company was classified as a service company, in accordance with paragraph c) of article 17 of Law No. 7210.
• The regime granted it the benefits and incentives provided for in Law No. 7210, its amendments, and its regulations.

The revocation and the liquidation period

Recital III of the agreement recalls that the Ministry of Foreign Trade resolved to revoke the regime through Resolution RESDMR-0104-2026, at 10:30 hours on June 25, 2026. Article 1 of the agreement executes that decision “without any liability for the State.”

Article 2 grants the company a period of fifteen days from the notification to proceed with the liquidation of its operations within the Free Trade Zone Regime. Article 3 provides that the agreement takes effect upon its notification.

Return of the deposited guarantee

Once the company demonstrates that it has complied with the obligation to liquidate, the Foreign Trade Promoter of Costa Rica (PROCOMER) will return the guarantee deposit, subject to any corresponding deductions, if applicable, in accordance with article 4 paragraph h) of Law No. 7210 and its amendments.

The agreement was communicated and published in the Executive Branch Agreements section of La Gaceta No. 195, corresponding to Thursday, October 15, 2026.

The revocation implies the end of the incentives and tax benefits that the company enjoyed under the free trade zone regime, in addition to forcing it to dismantle its operations within a short period and to manage the recovery of the guarantee before PROCOMER. The case shows that the Executive Branch can withdraw these incentives without compensation to the State, a relevant precedent for companies under the regime and for the oversight of the use of tax benefits.

Source: La Gaceta, No. 195 of October 15, 2026, Executive Branch Agreements, p. 4 (official reference: IN202601132768).