The Impact of Anzali Trade-Industrial Free Zone on Growth and Economic Development of Guilan Province

Establishing industrial free trade zones is one of the strategies of developing countries to take advantage of global trade, without the disadvantages of free trade expanding to the country. To take advantage of the free trade zones, Iran has so far established seven zones in different regions. But one of the important questions after the establishment of free trade zones is whether the established free industrial trade zones are able to improve economic growth and development.  In this study, using the Synthetic Control Approach, the answer to the mentioned question is given for the Anzali Free Zone. In other words, the effect of establishing the Anzali free zone on the growth and development of Guilan province is estimated. The results of the study show that the Anzali Free Zone has not been able to have a positive and significant effect on the growth and development of Guilan province. Of the four variables under study, the establishment of the Anzali Free Zone has negative effect on the per capita industrial value-added in Guilan province compared to the control group. Also, it has not have significant effect on the amount of agricultural value-added, services value-added, the real GDP per capita in Guilan province compared to the control group.
Therefore, it can be concluded that the establishment of the Anzali Free Zone has not been able to achieve one of its main goals, which is the development and growth of the Guilan.