Economically, shows great growth in recent years, with the main industry and trade activities. There are about 809 industries and 10 thousand shops installed in the city. According to the IBGE, the municipality of Duque de Caxias registered in 2005, the 15th largest GDP in the national ranking and the second largest in the state of Rio de Janeiro, in a total of 18.3 billion reais. A City ranks second in the ranking of revenues of the state ICMS, losing only to capital.No the municipality is located one of the largest refineries of Petrobras, the reduction, has a gas-chemical pole, with one thermoelectric plant.
The main industries are: chemical, petrochemical, metarlúgico, gas, plastics, furniture, textiles and clothing.
Companies in several segments have been installed in Duque de Caxias, such as Jornal O Globo and Carrefour, taking advantage of the privileged position of the city, near major highways Brazil: Red Line, Yellow Line, President Dutra Highway, Rodovia Washington Luiz Avenue and Brazil, in addition to the proximity of the Tom Jobim International Airport and the distance of only 17 km from downtown Rio, bringing its products to major consumer centers easily: Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais and southern Brazil. The largest industrial park in Rio de Janeiro is the city, and companies registered as Texaco, Shell, Esso, Ipiranga, White Martins, IBF, Transport Carvalhaes, Sadia, Ciferal, among others. The segment is more concentrated in the sectors of chemical and petrochemical, stimulated by the presence of REDUC, the second largest in the country. In the register of industrial FIRJAN, Duque de Caxias occupies the second position in number of employees in Rio de Janeiro and third in number of establishments, behind only the capital and Petropolis.
In the center of town there is intense popular trade, the majority concentrated in the streets of Jose Alvarenga and Nilo Pecanha
