The eight steps to open an apparel factory

The manual orders the process in eight steps: (1) choose municipality and model — own building, park lease, ZDEEP or free zone; (2) incorporate an S.A. and register it with the Mercantile Registry, the tax authority (SAT) and social security (IGSS) (advisers cite ~2–3 weeks for mercantile registration); (3) qualify under Decree 29-89 at the Ministry of the Economy (MINECO) — statutory ≤30 days for the opinion plus ≤15 days for the resolution (arts. 21-22), 30–45 business days per adviser; (4) environmental instrument at the Ministry of the Environment (MARN) per the listed-activities schedule of Governmental Accord 137-2016, license issued and delivered within ≤5 days of the approving resolution (art. 60); (5) power connection (EEGSA in the southern corridor) and water (well with municipal license plus MARN); (6) import machinery and inputs under temporary admission, with import duty (DAI) and VAT suspended for one year; (7) hire and run payroll at the CE1/CE2 maquila minimum plus employer charges; (8) export to the United States duty-free by meeting the CAFTA-DR yarn-forward rule. Timelines drawn from advisers or guides are not published law and remain to be verified in the data phase.

The research is written in English; quoted figures, source names and the titles of legal instruments stay in the language their source published them in.