This study compares the industrial development of Jamaica and Mauritius via Export Processing Zones (EPZs). The central questions in this research are: how, in theory and practice, do EPZs serve the development goals and policies of the countries; what factors are responsible for differences in the performance of the EPZs; what are the major lessons from Mauritius"s and Jamaica"s experiences with EPZs regarding the role of the state in development; and can the EPZs play an evolutionary role in the process of economic development in these countries.