In Nicaragua the Free Zone Regime was created on March 23rd of the year 1976 through Decree N. 22 "Creation of Export Processing Zones", published in the Official Gazette No.76 on the the 30th of the same month, and its Regulations Decree N.47 "Regulations of the Industrial Export Processing Zone Law" this was approved on October 8th, 1976 and published in the Gazette N. 235 on October 16th, 1976
In late 1976 the first companies settled within that regime and in July of 1979, 9 companies were operating in a single industrial park, "Industrial Park Las Mercedes". Eight of these companies were engaged in the manufacture of clothing and one of them in the development of leather wallets, all companies from the United States of America with a generation of 3,000 workers.
With the triumph of the Sandinista Revolution, in 1979 begins in Nicaragua a change in the economic, political and social system, staying withought effect the Decree N. 22 "Creation of Industrial Export Processing Zones"
New Free Zone Law (1991).
In the year 1990 the Free Zone Regime in Nicaragua is reactivated by Decree No.46-91 "Industrial Export Processing Zones" on the 13th of November 1991, published in the Official Gazette on November 22, 1991. Its Regulation Decree N. 31-92 published in the Gazette No. 112 on June 12, 1992 and the following reforms to the Regulations through the following Decrees: Decree No.18-98, Gazette, April 1st, 1998, Decree No. 21-2003 Gazette No.41 of February 27, 2003 and Gazette No.50-2005 Gazette N. 158 of August 16th 2005.