Duty Free Ferry Cruise Ports | Colon Free Zone

Panama

Colon Free Zone

This location is one of the many special tax-free shopping zones in South and Central America such as Cuidad del Este, Iquique, Ushuaia, Puerto Aguirre and Punta Arenas, where you can buy duty free goods. These special zones have many shops and you can find a vast range of imported brands. Electrical products usually have very competitive prices.

Goods purchased in these zones are subject to a customs restriction as to the total value you can buy and carry with you on your return journey. Most shoppers enter these zones by road and will need to pass through customs on their return journey, to check your allowances, search for your country of arrival in our search box and hit the red customs button to the left.

In some countries like Chile, shoppers are permitted to purchase goods in these free zones without actually leaving the country and travelling internationally. But, there is a monetary limit to your shopping and also a restriction as to the number of trips you can make every month. Some countries, such as Argentina and Uruguay, allow you to buy goods in designated stores and recover the sales tax when you leave the country. These tax free shopping schemes are operated by special companies who arrange the refund for you.

Colon Freezone is located at the Caribbean entry to the Panama Canal and is north of the capital city. This is a wholesale duty free and tax-free commercial freeport and it is not the location for individual shopping. However, you can purchase small quantities of goods and have them delivered to the airport for your departure.

More often the purchases made in Colon are for traders who wish to export bulk goods, either personally or through shipment. This destination should not be regarded as a tax free shopping area, such as the Malls found on other Caribbean islands. Whereas the Fuerte Amador Mall on the south side of the Canal Zone is located next to the cruise port and travellers can buy a full range of duty free and tax-free merchandise at the many shops on offer.

Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod? A list of certified Apple resellers can be found by clicking the link below. This special territory sells most products at tax free prices, either by selling goods free of tax, or by giving you the facility of the tax free refund shopping scheme. The prices for electronic products in these special territories can often be much cheaper than in bordering countries.