O papel da Zona Franca de Manaus na eficiência do setor de ar-condicionado

This report analyzes the impact of the Zona Franca de Manaus (ZFM) industrial policy on the energy and productive efficiency of the air conditioning (AC) sector in Brazil. It finds that despite significant tax incentives, the sector has experienced a deterioration in efficiency between 2003 and 2015, partly due to restrictive Basic Productive Process (PPB) rules that favor outdated domestic compressor technology over more efficient international alternatives.

• Air conditioning units produced in Brazil exhibit low energy efficiency compared to international standards, with average efficiency increasing by only 10.2% between 2010 and 2018. In contrast, India saw a 29% improvement (2011-2017) and Vietnam a 30.8% improvement (2013-2018).
• The Zona Franca de Manaus (ZFM) industrial policy creates distortions that hinder energy and productive efficiency. Specifically, the Basic Productive Process (PPB) requires companies to use domestic compressors, which employ outdated technology and are not 'inverter' types, unlike those used internationally.
• In 2015, approximately 7% of all tax benefits granted to the ZFM were directed to the air conditioning sector, totaling an estimated R$ 285 million in tax expenditures. The report concludes that these incentives have not contributed to increasing the sector's productivity or energy efficiency.
• Between 2003 and 2015, the air conditioning sector in both Brazil and the ZFM saw a decline in efficiency indicators, with productive efficiency (EP) dropping by 5% and energy efficiency (EE) by 2%. This trend differs from the broader Brazilian manufacturing industry, which remained relatively constant.
• The AC sector is highly concentrated, with eight companies holding approximately 98% of the market. Production is heavily centered in the ZFM; in 2015, 99% of wall, window, or portable AC units (including split systems) were produced in Amazonas.
• Residential AC electricity consumption in Brazil increased by approximately 237% between 2005 and 2017. This surge is attributed to higher sales volumes and the failure of energy efficiency improvements to keep pace with the number of units in homes.

APA

Schutze, A., Holz, R., & Assunção, J. (2020). O papel da Zona Franca de Manaus na eficiência do setor de ar-condicionado. Climate Policy Initiative. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Relatório-O-papel-da-Zona-Franca-de-Manaus-na-eficiência-do-setor-de-ar-condicionado.pdf

Chicago

Schutze, Amanda, Rhayana Holz, and Juliano Assunção. O papel da Zona Franca de Manaus na eficiência do setor de ar-condicionado. Climate Policy Initiative, 2020. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Relatório-O-papel-da-Zona-Franca-de-Manaus-na-eficiência-do-setor-de-ar-condicionado.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Schutze |first1=Amanda |last2=Holz |first2=Rhayana |last3=Assunção |first3=Juliano |title=O papel da Zona Franca de Manaus na eficiência do setor de ar-condicionado |publisher=Climate Policy Initiative |date=August 2020 |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Relatório-O-papel-da-Zona-Franca-de-Manaus-na-eficiência-do-setor-de-ar-condicionado.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{schutze2020papel, author = {Schutze, Amanda and Holz, Rhayana and Assunção, Juliano}, title = {{O papel da Zona Franca de Manaus na eficiência do setor de ar-condicionado}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2020}, month = aug, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Relatório-O-papel-da-Zona-Franca-de-Manaus-na-eficiência-do-setor-de-ar-condicionado.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }