Compare Free Zones in El Salvador
The 17 free zones
| Zone | Location | Size | Opened | Focus | MINEC 2024 users |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana | Km 69, CA-12, Santa Ana | More than 89,000 m² of land | 2001 | Textiles and apparel | 3 |
| Las Mercedes (Parque Industrial Santa Ana) | Santa Ana; address not published by CAMTEX | Not published | Not published | Not published | 1 |
| Zona Franca 10 | Km 76, Chalchuapa, Santa Ana | Not published | Not published | Production and distribution centres | 4 |
| ExportSalva | Km 24, highway to Santa Ana, Colón, La Libertad | 42 manzanas | Not published | Textiles and apparel | 19 |
| Pipil (Hydroexpo) | San Juan Opico, La Libertad | 36 hectares | 2002 | Agriculture in hydroponic greenhouses | 2 |
| Sam-Li | Km 31.5, highway to Santa Ana, San Juan Opico, La Libertad | About 35,000 m² of land | 2007 | Not published | 2 |
| American Park | Km 36.5, Pan-American Highway to Santa Ana, La Libertad | More than 220,000 m² built | Not published | Not published | 25 |
| Santa Tecla | Km 12.5, road to the port of La Libertad, Santa Tecla, La Libertad | Not published | Not published | Logistics and industry | 13 |
| San José | Km 18.5, CA-4, Zaragoza, La Libertad | More than 37,500 m² of land | 2009 | Textiles and apparel | 3 |
| San Marcos | Km 9.5, road to Comalapa, San Marcos, San Salvador | Not published | Not published | Specialty textiles, agricultural inputs, construction | 10 |
| San Bartolo | Km 10.5, Ilopango, San Salvador | About 706,000 m² of land | 1974 | Industrial and commercial exports; the only zone with state participation | 24 |
| Santo Tomás | Km 15.5, road to Comalapa, San Salvador | About 24,000 m² of land | 2002 | Not published | 2 |
| Internacional | Km 28.5, road to Comalapa, La Paz | Not published | Not published | Mixed activities | 16 |
| Miramar | Km 30.5, airport highway, Olocuilta, La Paz | Not published | Not published | Logistics, BPO, plastics, electronics, medical devices | 5 |
| El Pedregal | Km 46.5, El Rosario, La Paz | More than 117,000 m² of buildings | Not published | Textiles, electronics assembly, logistics | 10 |
| Concordia Industrial Park | Km 105, Coastal Highway, Jiquilisco, Usulután | Not published | Not published | Logistics, manufacturing, textiles, technology | 1 |
| Calvo | Punta Gorda, La Unión | Not published | Not published | Tuna loins, canned fish, fishmeal and fish oil | 4 |
Source: CAMTEX: free zones and industrial parks; MINEC: list of free zone users, 20241,2
Sizes are as each zone reports them to CAMTEX: some give land, others buildings or roof. The MINEC list counts users inside the zones at one date in 2024; it leaves out DPAs and companies that joined later, which is why the US State Department figure of 291 companies is higher.1,2,3
New zones and parks
| Project | Location | Size | Regime | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AirCity | International airport, San Luis Talpa, La Paz | 532,271 m² of land; more than 163,000 m² for lease | Free zone at the airport | Construction started December 2025; USD 250 million planned by Grupo Aristos |
| Orion Industrial Park | Km 37.5, Pan-American Highway to Santa Ana | 180,000 m² for rent planned | Free zone | Planned |
| Altius Tech Park | Km 36.5, Pan-American Highway to Santa Ana | 44,000 m² for lease | International Services Law | Seven office buildings; CAMTEX gave an opening at the end of 2023 |
| Apolo Industrial Park | Km 26.5, Pan-American Highway to Santa Ana | More than 30,000 m² of roof | DPA | Listed by CAMTEX |
| Sirius Industrial Park | Km 26.5, Pan-American Highway to Santa Ana | 16,140 m² of roof | DPA | Listed by CAMTEX |
| El Progreso Industrial Park | Km 11.5, road to the port of La Libertad, Santa Tecla | More than 13,000 m² of roof | Not published | Listed by CAMTEX |
| Agro Eleva | El Porvenir, Santa Ana Oeste, Santa Ana | 410,600.16 m², later expanded to 763,794.05 m² | Free zone, developer Decosivar | Authorised by Acuerdo 576 of 5 July 2024 |
| Tunan Tal | San Vicente | Not published | Free zone | Announced March 2025: USD 12 million, 500 jobs, sorting of second-hand goods and textile recycling |
| Montfort | Sonsonate | Not published | Free zone | Under development in April 2024 |
Source: Diario El Mundo: construction of AirCity starts at the international airport, December 2025; CAMTEX: AirCity; AirCity: project website; CAMTEX: Orion Industrial Park; Grupo Aristos: Orion Industrial Park; CAMTEX: Altius Tech Park; CAMTEX: Apolo Industrial Park; CAMTEX: Sirius Industrial Park; CAMTEX: El Progreso Industrial Park; Diario Oficial: Acuerdo 576 authorising the Agro Eleva free zone; Diario El Salvador Dinero: Tunan Tal free zone in San Vicente, March 2025; Diario El Mundo: four free zones in the process of being established, April 20244,5,16,6,17,7,8,9,10,11,12,13
In March 2025 the Minister of Economy said at least five free zone projects were under construction, after more than 14 years without a new one being built.14
Where the zones are
| Department | Free zones |
|---|---|
| La Libertad | 6: ExportSalva, Pipil, Sam-Li, American Park, Santa Tecla, San José |
| San Salvador | 3: San Marcos, San Bartolo, Santo Tomás |
| Santa Ana | 3: Santa Ana, Las Mercedes, Zona Franca 10 |
| La Paz | 3: Internacional, Miramar, El Pedregal |
| Usulután | 1: Concordia Industrial Park |
| La Unión | 1: Calvo |
Source: CAMTEX: free zones and industrial parks; ORMUSA: employment in the maquila sector, February 2024 (PDF, in Spanish)1,15
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are El Salvador’s free zones?
CAMTEX lists 17 free zones, most of them along the highway to Santa Ana in La Libertad and the road to the airport in San Salvador and La Paz.
Which department has the most free zones?
La Libertad, with 6 free zones.
How large are the free zones?
Among the zones that publish their land area, sizes range from about 24,000 m² at Santo Tomás to about 706,000 m² at San Bartolo.
Sources
- CAMTEX: free zones and industrial parks (in Spanish)
- MINEC: list of free zone users, 2024 (in Spanish)
- US State Department: 2026 Investment Climate Statement, El Salvador
- Diario El Mundo: construction of AirCity starts at the international airport, December 2025 (in Spanish)
- CAMTEX: AirCity
- CAMTEX: Orion Industrial Park
- CAMTEX: Altius Tech Park
- CAMTEX: Apolo Industrial Park
- CAMTEX: Sirius Industrial Park
- CAMTEX: El Progreso Industrial Park
- Diario Oficial: Acuerdo 576 authorising the Agro Eleva free zone (in Spanish)
- Diario El Salvador Dinero: Tunan Tal free zone in San Vicente, March 2025 (in Spanish)
- Diario El Mundo: four free zones in the process of being established, April 2024 (in Spanish)
- Diario El Mundo: at least five free zone projects under construction, March 2025 (in Spanish)
- ORMUSA: employment in the maquila sector, February 2024 (PDF, in Spanish)
- AirCity: project website
- Grupo Aristos: Orion Industrial Park
Figures checked 8 November 2026. Prepared by InvestSalvador.com for general information. It is not investment, tax or legal advice; please confirm details with a qualified adviser before acting.
