Martín Gustavo Ibarra Pardo

Practice Areas

Socio economist lawyer from Universidad Javeriana in Colombia. He has a master in comparative law from University of Texas and in Exports Promotion from ICE in Italy. He is a a renowned lawyer in Latin America in the fields of international trade, free trade zones and national and international arbitration.

He has a wide experience in free zones development and in international economic law. The Free Zones he has sponsored in Colombia generate together more than 30.000 direct jobs.

Career

Managing Partner and CEO of the firm, and one of the most renowned strategists in international trade.

For 50 years he has advised regional and national companies; and governments in the adoption of action plans to be successful in a globalized world.

Knowledgeable in rescue mechanisms of companies, he’s an authority in the application of correctives to avoid acts of unfair competition in international trade, such as dumping, countervailing duties, safeguard clauses, and technical regulations.

He has led the development of the free zone regime in China and different countries around the world. In addition, he has collaborated in the design of the foreign trade legislation of most Latin American countries.

He collaborated in the restructuring of foreign trade and customs mechanisms in countries such as the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Peru, Congo, Nicaragua, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Tanzania, among others.

He was an adviser in the creation of the Ministry of Foreign Trade in Colombia in 1991. In Colombia he has been a co-promoter of some of the most successful free trade zones (FTZ), such as Bogotá FTZ, La Candelaria FTZ (Cartagena), Pacific FTZ (Valle del Cauca), Tayrona FTZ (Santa Marta), Central FTZ (Cartagena), and Santander FTZ (Bucaramanga).

In terms of Free Zones, he has not only collaborated in its creation, but also in the elaboration of strategic and commercial plans, and international and national promotion of these zones.

He also continues to serve as president of the firm Araujo Ibarra International Trade Consultants, vice-president of the WFZO, honorary president of the AZFA and in 2020 he was appointed as a member of the Pacific Alliance Business Council, year in which Colombia received the Pro-tempore presidency of the regional integration mechanism.

Professional Memberships

Mr. Ibarra participated in the creation of the World Free Zone Organization (WFZO), for which he works as Vice-Chairman. He is also honorary president of the Free Zone Organization of the Americas (AZFA).

In 2015, the Colombian National Academy of Jurisprudence, taking into consideration Mr. Ibarra’s works related to international trade and free zones, awarded him with the honour of becoming a scholar and member of this prestigious institution.

In 2020 he was appointed as a member of the Pacific Alliance Business Council, year in which Colombia received the Pro-tempore presidency of the regional integration mechanism.