Iran FTZs See 40% Growth in Investment

A total of 67,900 billion rials ($611.71 million) have been invested in Iran's free trade zones in the last fiscal year (ended March 20, 2019), indicating a 40% growth compared with the previous year’s 48,000 billion rials ($432.43 million). 
In Iran, free trade zones were first authorized in 1993 in Kish, Qeshm and Chabahar. Later, Aras, Arvand, Maku and Anzali were added to the list of Iranian FTZs. 
According to Secretary of High Council of Free Zones Morteza Bank, as many as 1,400 industrial units are operating in these seven FTZs.  
“Free zones account for 0.3% of total land area of Iran and accommodate less than one million people,” he said.
Debates on the merits of FTZs have been based on their impact on several elements: from social issues like labor rights, environmental protection and urban planning to macroeconomic issues related to their impact on government revenues, employment, trade and foreign exchange earnings.