PANAMA · TRADE
Key Facts
- Power Index Panama ranks 11th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 34.2 points (October 2026 edition).
- What is happening Panama’s exportable goods supply reached US$1,157.8 million from January to September 2026, up 17.2% on a year earlier.
- Why it matters The United States is the largest buyer of Panama’s registered goods, taking 16.9% of them in the first seven months.
- The numbers Registered exports rose 9% to US$822.4 million; value-added exports from special regimes jumped 43.8% to US$335.3 million.
- Who is who Julio Moltó is Panama’s trade and industry minister; his ministry’s Intelcom office compiles the figures from national statistics.
- What to watch Full-year 2026 totals, and whether free-zone sales keep outgrowing shrimp, banana and other ordinary goods shipments.
- What it means for you Panama uses the US dollar, so US importers of its shrimp, bananas and coffee face no currency risk.
Panama’s trade ministry says its exportable goods are growing fast, helped by free-zone sales. A separate national count that includes copper still showed a fall in the first half.
Panama’s exportable goods supply reached US$1,157.8 million from January to September 2026, up 17.2% on the same nine months of 2025. Trade and Industry Minister Julio Moltó announced the figure on Friday, 30 October.
The United States is the largest single buyer of Panama’s registered goods, with 16.9% of the January to July total. Frozen shrimp, bananas, palm oil, teak, pharmaceuticals and coffee lead the nine-month list.
What the Figures Show
The ministry, known as MICI, counts exportable supply in two parts: registered exports, which are ordinary goods shipments, and special regimes. The latter add value-added goods from free zones and the Panamá Pacífico business park.
Registered exports reached US$822.4 million, up US$67.7 million or 9%. Value-added exports from special regimes reached US$335.3 million, up 43.8%.
Intelcom, the ministry’s trade-intelligence office, dated its performance report Thursday, 29 October, using data from INEC, the national statistics institute. Moltó said selling abroad is important, but so is offering products of ever greater value.
The ministry gives the total as US$1,157.8 million, while its two parts add to US$1,157.7 million because of rounding. The growth rates imply a 2025 base of roughly US$988 million, a figure calculated from the published numbers.
Where the Goods Go
The latest destination breakdown from Intelcom covers January to July, when the United States took 16.9% of registered exports. Taiwan followed with 12.7%, the Colón Free Zone with 7.7%, the Netherlands with 7.4% and India with 6.8%.
The Colón Free Zone is a duty-free trading hub on Panama’s Caribbean coast. The ten largest destinations took 69.0% of registered exports, and the United States led in 2023 to 2025 too.
Why the Picture Looks Mixed
Intelcom’s series leaves out copper, because the Cobre Panamá mine stopped operating at the end of 2023. INEC’s separate count of national goods exports, which includes copper, fell 22.1% to US$534.6 million in January to June 2026.
That fall reflects copper: INEC records no copper exports in the first half of 2026, against US$169.7 million in June 2025. The two measures therefore tell different stories about the same economy.
Goods are a small part of Panama’s trade, as services exports reached US$11.13 billion in the first half of 2026, up 12.7%. That is nearly ten times the nine-month goods total, though the periods differ.
What It Means for You
US importers and food buyers can see that shrimp, bananas and coffee remain central to Panama’s goods trade. Panama uses the US dollar, and its balboa is pegged one to one, so these sales carry no exchange-rate risk.
Investors tracking Panama’s economy should note that goods exports are small next to services. The ministry’s measure also leaves out copper, so it is not a full picture of the country’s goods trade.
Related coverage includes Panama exports falling 22.1% in the first half and the 2027 budget vote. More is on the Panama hub, in the Panama economy guide, the Panama politics guide and on the Panama City page.
What Is Not Known
The ministry has not published product values, destination shares or a 2025 figure for special regimes covering nine months. The latest destination data stop at July, and the full Intelcom report for September was not available at the time of writing.
INEC had not published a nine-month national goods total in the files checked, so the copper-inclusive picture after June is open. How the earthquake of 9 October affects fourth-quarter shipments is also not known, since the ministry’s note does not mention it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Panama export in the first nine months of 2026?
Panama’s trade ministry puts exportable goods supply at US$1,157.8 million for January to September, up 17.2%. That counts registered exports plus value-added goods from special regimes.
Why does another count show Panama exports falling?
INEC, the national statistics institute, counts copper and found national goods exports down 22.1% in the first half. Panama shipped US$169.7 million of copper in June 2025 and none this year.
Who buys Panama’s exports?
The United States is the largest buyer, with 16.9% of registered exports from January to July. Taiwan took 12.7%, the Colón Free Zone 7.7%, the Netherlands 7.4% and India 6.8%.
What does Panama export?
The ministry lists frozen shrimp, bananas, palm oil, teak, pharmaceuticals and coffee as leading products. It has not published values for each product over the nine months.
Sources: Ministry of Commerce and Industries of Panama (MICI), export supply to September, 30 October 2026 and services exports, 21 October 2026; MICI Intelcom, export performance report, January to July 2026; Panama National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC), goods exports FOB value, January to June 2026 (all accessed 31 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief