Overview
- Peru’s trade ministry published DS 005-2026-MINCETUR on Wednesday, completing the regulation that enables privately run special economic zones known as ZEEP.
- The package grants a 25-year cut to income tax rates, starting at 0% for the first five years and rising to 15% by year 25, and deals between firms inside a zone do not pay VAT or excise taxes.
- Goods sent from the rest of Peru into a zone count as exports, a change that can lower border costs and speed shipments for manufacturers and assemblers.
- Zones follow a two-step process that first qualifies the site and then authorizes a private operator, with minimum investments set at 1,500 UIT for operators and typically 2,000 UIT for users.
- Each site must span at least 90 hectares, except in Callao where smaller areas can qualify, and Mincetur has 60 business days to publish evaluation guidelines that open the door to applications and possible conversions of existing public zones.