“经济特区”是由古老的“自由港”概念发展而来的。人们往往把“经济特区”误以为“自由贸易区”。其实这两者之间有着明显的区别。“自由贸易区”是在为限制或取消各成员国之间贸易中的各种关税而签订的多国互惠协定的基础上产生的。“经济特区”和“自由港”之间也有一个程度上的差别:“自由港”仅作为货物转运中枢或为便于国际间贸易而设立的商品货栈处;“经济特区”(虽然大多设在自由港)则是由于本国免税法的规定,磁石般地吸引了众多的国外投资者,从而发展为本国商品生产和贸易交往的经济区。 “Special Economic Zone ” is developed from the ancient concept of “free port”. People often mistake the “special economic zone” for “free trade zone”. In fact, there is a clear difference between the two. The “free trade zone” is based on the principle of multinational reciprocity signed to restrict or cancel various tariffs in the trade between member states. There is also a certain degree of difference between “SEZ” and “Freeport”: “Free port” is only used as a transit center for goods or a commodity warehouse set up to facilitate international trade; “Special Economic Zone” (Though mostly located in free ports) are magnetically attracted by a large number of foreign investors due to the provisions of the tax-free law of their own country, thereby developing an economic zone for the exchange of goods and trade in their own country.