The agreement signed by Javier Milei, Diego Santilli and Raúl Jalil enables the creation of a mixed industrial and commercial Free Trade Zone along the Bi-Oceanic Corridor, connected with Chile through the San Francisco Pass. The initiative seeks to attract investment, reduce costs and strengthen value chains linked, among other activities, to mining.
By Panorama Minero
The National Government and the Province of Catamarca have taken a new step toward the creation of the Tinogasta Free Trade Zone. President Javier Milei, Chief of Cabinet Diego Santilli, and Governor Raúl Jalil signed the agreement establishing the framework for its implementation, which provides for tax reductions for activities carried out within the zone.
The future Free Trade Zone will be located in Tinogasta, along the Bi-Oceanic Corridor, and will be connected with Chile through the San Francisco International Pass. Its location is one of the main arguments supporting the project’s development, given its potential to connect Catamarca’s production with Pacific markets and strengthen foreign trade flows.
The initiative falls under Free Trade Zones Law No. 24,331 and seeks to create conditions to reduce costs, improve competitiveness, attract investment and promote employment in western Catamarca.
The signed agreement is the result of efforts undertaken by the Province to advance a mechanism aimed at positioning Tinogasta as a production, logistics, mining and commercial hub, not only for Catamarca but also for northern Argentina.
An Industrial and Commercial Profile
According to the project, the Free Trade Zone will have a mixed industrial and commercial profile, adapted to the province’s current economic and productive conditions.
Under this framework, the objective is to strengthen different value chains, including those linked to mining, agribusiness and foreign trade, while also taking advantage of the opportunities offered by bi-oceanic integration.
The Provincial Executive Branch highlighted that Tinogasta’s location and its connection with the San Francisco Pass are strategic factors for supporting the development of new investments and improving logistics conditions for companies operating in the region.
The creation of the Free Trade Zone is also linked to the province’s objective of generating greater added value and increasing the participation of regional economies in international trade.
A Process That Began with Provincial Efforts
The agreement involved various officials from the Provincial Executive Branch and national legislators who participated in efforts to advance the initiative. These include Sebastián Nóblega, Fernanda Ávila, Fernando Monguillot and Claudia Palladino, as well as former National Deputy Silvana Ginocchio.
The agreement establishes that the new Free Trade Zone will take effect once it is approved by the Catamarca Legislature, a necessary step for its implementation to move forward.
Law No. 24,331 establishes that free trade zones are intended, among other objectives, to promote trade and export-oriented industrial activity through mechanisms designed to increase efficiency and reduce the costs associated with activities carried out within these zones.
