Advice to visitors
The Colon Free Zone is an enclosed "commercial park", where companies may import and export free of duties or quotas, and with an absolute minimum of government restrictions.
It comprises two large areas: one adjacent to Colon, separated from the city by a wall and usually referred to as the "commercial area" and the other, a sector known as France Field.
The main gate, which visitors must go through, leads into the "commercial area" where you will probably do your largest number of shopping and business transactions. The France Field sector is mainly warehouses, but some companies have showrooms there.
The two areas are on either side of Manzanillo Bay and joined by a bridge. Do not try to go to France Field on foot. Distances are too great.
The Colon Free Zone operates mainly on a wholesale policy. Some companies
may sell retail to tourists, but there are strict customs regulations.
Nobody can leave the Free Zone with their merchandise. Wholesale consignments
must leave with an authorized carrier with the proper customs documents.
Smaller retail purchases must be sent in-bond from the Colon Free
Zone to Tocumen International Airport, where they are delivered to
departing passengers. Normally they will be there on the day after
your purchase.
If you are making several purchases try to arrange for all items to be transferred ("traspassed" is the local terminology) to one company, which will then send them all together to the airport.(Free Zone merchants are usually very helpful in this process.)
Leave plenty of time on the day of your departure to get goods out of the customs area on the lower level of the airport before checking in for your flight. If you buy wholesale, your suppliers are experts in arranging the shipping of your goods to anywhere in the world. For this purpose, the CFZ has access to excellent facilities for moving cargo by air, land or sea.