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The Colon Free Zone is located in an area of approximately 600 acres making it the biggest free zone in the Americas and the second largest in the world. The Colon Free Zone started operations in 1948 at the Atlantic entrance of the Panama Canal and is separated into two different sections: one a shopping area separated from the city of Colon by a security barrier and a 130 acre storage warehouse area located approximately 400 yards from the commercial area in the France Field area.
Colon Free Zone History
With the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914, the idea of starting a Colon free zone to take advantage of Panama’s geographic position began to take form. It was not until the conclusion of World War II that goal of creating the Colon Free Zone became a reality. Many local residents were employed in the construction boom that occurred during the war years building defense facilities and facilities to house the flux of American troops garrisoned in Panama. However, the end of the war signal the demise of Panama’s economy. The President of Panama at the time, Dr. Enrique A. Jimenez saw the Colon Free Zone as the panacea to cure Panama’s economic doldrums. President Jimenez recommended that the Colon Free Zone project originally prepared by George E. Roberts, Vice President of the First National City Bank of New York the precursor of Citibank in 1929 be reconsidered and put into action.
In 1946, Dr. Thomas E. Lyons, a renowned authority on the creation of free zones, was hired by the government of Panama to conduct a feasibility study on the Colon Free Zone. Based on his discoveries, the government of Panama approved Law No. 18 of June 17, 1948 thus creating an autonomous Colon Free Zone.