Freeport

Freeport/Lucaya

Freeport/Lucaya is a modern city located on the third largest island of the Bahamas many islands, the Grand Bahama Island. The Grand Bahama Island is the second largest tourist stop of the Bahamas. The Grand Bahama Island has long stretches of deserted white beaches, along with wonderful hotels, one major casino, evening entertainment, and the best scuba diving facilities, with land and sea sports. On the western and the eastern ends of the island you can find quiet, peaceful, and picturesque spots. It is not uncommon to find a hide-away site. Grand Bahama Island is the home to the oldest underwater cave system in the world. It is located in the Lucayan National Park. Shopping in Port Lucaya can be a treasure hunt; you will find plenty of duty-free keepsakes and mementos from around the world. Freeport is considered to be the resort center of the Grand Bahama Island where many activities can be found.

Freeport has established as a free trade zone in 1955 by the Government of the Bahamas. Born from a land grant of 50,000 acres of swamp and bushes it emerged into a cosmopolitan center, which encourages good business and the good life. The Grand Bahama Port Authority under special powers runs the free trade zone. The government under the Hawksbill Creek Agreement presented these special powers to them. This agreement increased the land grant to 138,000 acres and has been extended until August 2054. The major provider and developer of the free trade zone is the Grand Bahama Port Authority, provides services to the free trade zone and offers opportunities to expand your portfolio as well as offering investment in their own secondary companies.

Freeport is deliberately located at the gateway to the Americas and offers an incentive to industrial development. Its 35-minute flight to the southern end of Florida makes it the closest port to the United States. The free trade zone in Freeport is in the perfect location for global commerce. It is located at the crossroads of routes between Europe, North and South America trade and industry. It also is in line with the international shipping transiting through the Panama Canal.

Because of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement, businesses in the free zone are not required to pay taxes on profits, capital gains, inheritance, income, earnings, distributions, gifts, or on imported and exported goods. Real estate taxes and import duties have been waived through August 2015.

The Freeport Harbor is one of the first and primary accomplishments of the Grand Bahama Port Authority. The Freeport Harbor is accessible to the largest vessels. The harbor has a straight channel 1800 feet long, 500 feet wide and 47 feet deep. The turning basin is 44 feet deep. The Freeport Harbor is the port for six major cruise lines and welcomes more than 500,000 tourists every year. The harbor is close to the Freeport International Airport, which is a 10-minute drive away.

Freeport's International Airport is one of the largest privately owned airports in the world. It maintains state of the art facilities, which includes an 11,000-foot long runway. It can accommodate large international jet aircrafts every day, 24 hours per day. It is equipped with refueling and hub facilities, which are managed by the Grand Bahama Airport Company, Ltd. located at its full service terminal with preclearance for U.S. Customs and Immigration. The Freeport International Airport is just a few minutes away from Southern Florida.