ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the Brazilian experience of implementing dedicated areas for foreign trade with special customs regimes. It considers as a basic fact that Special Customs Regimes are a part of a country's public policies aimed at improving conditions which then enable it to better compete in international commerce. In specific areas they can also create new jobs and improve regional development. The Santos Metropolitan Region (RMBS) projects were identified in the interviews with city representatives and private companies involved with Special Customs Regimes initiatives. The Secretariat of Foreign Trade (SECEX) in the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade is in charge of proposing foreign trade policies and programmes, including import measures and procedures, to the Chamber of Foreign Trade (CAMEX), which has ultimately been responsible for foreign trade issues. The Brazilian Government through the Ports Ministry (SEP) has begun to study the conditions required to establish so-called Logistics Activities Zones (ZAL), basically following the Spanish model.
