AACCLA Virtual Outlook on the Americas Conference

On February 16, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America and the Caribbean (AACCLA) hosted its annual Virtual Outlook on the Americas Conference.

H.E. Erika Mouynes, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama, H.E. Rodolfo Solano Quirós, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica, and H.E. Roberto Álvarez, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic, joined Anne McKinney, Executive Vice President for AACCLA, in a conversation on the Alliance for Development in Democracy. Launched in 2021 by the presidents of Panama, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic, the Alliance for Development in Democracy is a partnership to advance democracy and economic growth through free markets in their respective countries and beyond. H.E. Erika Mouynes underscored the need to equate democratic governance with progress, particularly economic development and stable growth. She explained that the alliance provides a flexible space for dialogue between governments on how to foster further cooperation within the alliance, with the United States, and with democracies around the world. H.E. Rodolfo Solano Quirós further elaborated on the alliance’s cooperation pillar, citing trilateral synergies around strengthening democratic institutions and working in partnership with the private sector to increase transparency. Lastly, H.E. Roberto Álvarez discussed the alliance’s economic pillar and the importance of securing economic prosperity. He mentioned the alliance’s goal of increasing trade with partners in the hemisphere and the recent establishment of a council on business and investment to advance these efforts.

Click here to watch a recording of the conference.

President Cortizo Cohen highlights Panama's key role in world trade at an IDB Forum

President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), reaffirmed his confidence in Panama. “At the IDB we believe that the possibilities are endless for Panama, this country is not only a global treasure for its beauty and biodiversity, but it is also a hub for the hemisphere and the world to be a logistics and transportation hub.

The President of the Republic, Laurentino Cortizo Cohen, highlighted this Thursday morning the potential of Panama as the main logistics center in Latin America at the opening of the high-level multisectoral forum, organized by the National Government , in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The Panamanian president indicated that "Panama offers a unique value proposition as the main logistics center in Latin America in which he highlighted the exceptional connectivity thanks to our geographical position, the Panama Canal and the logistics assets.

"Panama has the best air and maritime connectivity in Latin America and the Caribbean, with ports on the coasts of two oceans, a transcontinental railway, airports, logistics parks, special economic zones and free zones," said the Chief Executive during the opening of the forum “Panama: The Center of America and its role in strengthening regional value chains”.

He argued that the country "has played a key role in world trade'', in that sense he said that "we have learned to recognize and appreciate the value of supply chains and the importance of making them more resilient for the benefit of the countries of our region”.

Cortizo Cohen also stated that during his administration he supports nearshoring processes as an essential strategic component for the economic recovery agenda in the post-pandemic stage.

 “We have opted for the creation and promotion of special regimes through the issuance of laws that grant corporate, tax, labor and immigration benefits. As a result, more than 177 multinationals have established offices in our country, which strengthens our competitiveness as a reliable destination for foreign investment”, said Cortizo Cohen.

He highlighted that before the pandemic Panama was one of the fastest growing countries in the region, capturing around 43% of all foreign direct investment.

 In this sense, he maintained that "even though the pandemic caused a strong economic and social impact worldwide, bringing new challenges, today we feel optimistic and trust that we will resume the pace of growth in the coming years."

 As a Government, we will continue to take firm steps to consolidate the stability of our country as a friendly place for business and good investments, he indicated.

 "Panama maintains its firm and determined commitment to collaborate with the strengthening of supply chains and to work for regional development with stability, security, sustainability and respect to expand opportunities for mutual growth in the region," concluded Cortizo Cohen.

Ramón Martínez, Minister of Commerce and Industry, said that "Latin America has a great opportunity ahead and Panama, within the region, is taking concrete actions, fostering constant multilateral and multisectoral dialogue, to position itself as a destination for investments in insurance of supply chains, of strategic industries and as an ally of the nations of the hemisphere that seek to advance prosperity and collective security”,

 The president of the IDB, Mauricio Claver-Carone, reaffirmed his confidence in the country.

 “We are experiencing the largest realignment of global supply chains in history. This opened up a unique opportunity to attract more and better investments, and Panama is in a privileged position to do so. At the IDB we are proud to work with the Government of Panama in organizing the investment forum in 2022, as we promised six months ago. We are making all our financial and technical resources available to attract investment to the country and, together, drive the kind of inclusive and sustainable growth that all Panamanians deserve,” said President Claver-Carone.

 He added that this investment forum demonstrates the capacity of the IDB and the Government to be able to collaborate together to produce concrete results, pointing out that if the country could capture only 1% of the imports that the United States makes from outside the Americas -of products that Panama exports- could generate US$1.9 billion of additional exports.

 “At the IDB we believe that the possibilities are endless for Panama, this country is not only a global treasure for its beauty and biodiversity, but it is also a hub for the hemisphere and the world to be a logistics and transportation hub. The door between the Pacific and the Atlantic”, he limited.

 The forum "Panama: The Center of America and its role in strengthening regional value chains", had a virtual audience of more than 500 participants, most of them CEOs of renowned companies in the continent.

 The event featured panelists from the public and private sectors of the world's leading business consortiums, who with their success stories were able to delve into the country's competitive advantages.

 The intervention of the Panamanian authorities and the representative of the IDB was joined by the panel moderated by Ana Margarita Reyes, coordinator of the Logistics Cabinet of Panama, which was made up of Enrique Aguirre, General Director for the Central America and Caribbean Region of 3M ; Pedro Heilbron, CEO of Copa Airlines; Niurka Montero, General Manager of Dell Technologies – Panama; and Ricaurte Vásquez, CEO/Administrator of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP).

 Likewise, a second panel was developed, made up of Vivian Carles, CEO – Panama of Grupo Bimbo; Juan Fernando Posada, president of P&G Latin America; Aimeé Sentmat de Grimaldo, president of Banistmo; Fabia Tetteroo-Bueno, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Philips Latin America; and Carmen Gisela Vergara, Executive Director of ProPanamá, who acted as moderator. The conclusions of the meeting were given by Rocío Medina Bolívar, IDB representative in Panama.

 

Exports of Panamanian Sea Products are Increasing

Around 21 thousand pounds of Mahi Mahi fish were exported last week by Independent Seafoods, S.A., to the United States, being the second Panamanian company that sends seafood to that destination in less than a week.

"The efforts of our exporters, including Independent Seafoods, SA, have contributed to the growth of exports from the fishing sector, which closed the year 2021 with an increase of 2.6%", reported Albalina de Vallarino, general director of the National Direction of Promotion of Exports of the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI).

She noted that Panama exports seafood such as shrimp, fish, and fish fillets to Taiwan (37%), the United States (26%), Denmark (12%), Spain (11%), Italy (7%), France ( 3%), South Africa and Belgium (1%). The remaining percentage is shared between Greece, China, Hong Kong, Costa Rica, Curaçao, and Mexico.

Independent Seafoods, S.A., certified with the highest quality

New Panamanian Exporter Places 3k Pounds of Fish to Florida, USA.

The seafood company Elanel, SA, located in the Azuero region (at the middle of the Isthmus of Panama), completed its first export to the US market, sending 3,000 pounds of Mahi Mahi Dorado fish to a client in Florida, reported by the National Direction of Export Promotion of the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI).

Elías Castillo, Commercial Manager of the company, and Alexis Muñoz, Exports Promoter of the MICI, supervised the process of loading the merchandise, which was identified with the “Panama Exporta” seal, to promote the quality of the national exportable offer.

PANAMANIAN DIPLOMATIC AND SECURITY STRATEGY REDUCES THE FLOW THROUGH THE DARIEN GAP TO 150 MIGRANTS DAILY

• Under the leadership of President Laurentino Cortizo Cohen, joint actions were carried out with 10 countries, to address irregular migratory flows.

• The Foreign Ministry led multilateral meetings across America to agree on a regional response to the phenomenon of irregular migration.

Panama, February 1, 2022. Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes, Minister of Public Security, Juan Manuel Pino, and the Director of the National Immigration Service, Samira Gozaine; made a balance of the work carried out to date, which shows a dramatic reduction from 2,461 migrants at its highest point (August 2021) to an average of 140 daily admissions in the present, through the Darien Gap.

The authorities evaluated in detail the achievements thanks to coordination that addresses the effects of the entry of migrants, up to 133,726 during the year 2021.

“Multilateral diplomatic approaches have borne fruit. Since the first ministerial summit convened by Panama in August of last year, we have engaged more than ten strategic partners in the region, including the United States, Canada, and Colombia. Everyone has supported the Panamanian request to address the phenomenon with responsibility, coordination, and a humanitarian approach”, the Foreign Minister said.

Panama is the only country on the migrant route that verifies entry numbers and captures biometric data from this population, to which it also provides shelter, food, vaccinations and health care for children and pregnant women. "The reduction of these migratory flows allows us to provide better care, without saturating our facilities," said Minister Mouynes.

"International collaboration to address this global phenomenon has shown subtractions and although we are optimistic, we are cautiously monitoring the data, and preparing ourselves to face possible ups and downs in the evolution of this complex situation, always in coordination with the international community," said the chief. of Panamanian diplomacy.

It was recalled that, after the first High-Level Ministerial Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Americas, convened by Panama on August 11, the first Meeting of Attorneys General of the region was held and an important joint work session of the Directors of Migration of the area.

Likewise, as a result of the Panamanian strategy, the bilateral meeting with Colombia on August 6, 2021, with the visit of the Vice President and Foreign Minister Marta Lucía Ramírez; the meeting in the framework of the United Nations with the United States Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and the Central American foreign ministers, on September 23, and the high-level Security dialogue between Panama and the United States, on October 14.

As an additional reference, Panama has been part of the Alliance for Development in Democracy since 2021, together with the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica, with the objective, among other mandates, of promoting the recovery of Haiti, the country of origin of nearly 80% of emigrants. irregulars that crossed Panama during 2021.

EXPOCOMER 2022: The International Trade Exhibition is back!

The Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama organize EXPOCOMER, a multisectoral trade exhibition, which is focuses on three main categories: Food, Beverage and Agricultural Products; Textile, Clothes and Accessories; Technology and Electronics.

The thirty eight version of EXPOCOMER seeks to promote trade and industry settling once again as the ideal for the presentation of new products and services event. With a total exhibition area of over 15,500 square meters, and the participation of over 600 exhibitors representing 30 countries, distributed in more than 800 exhibit booths.

PANAMA PARTICIPATES IN THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY FOR THE LARGEST PROTECTED MARINE CORRIDOR IN THE WORLD

On Friday, January 14, Panama’s Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes participated in the inauguration ceremony for the newly expanded Hermandad-Galapagos marine reserve in Ecuador. The expansion links marine reserves in Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia to form the largest marine corridor on the planet – an effort initiated by Panama and agreed to during COP26.  

The expansion will help further preserve the biodiversity of the region and protect critical migration routes. Together, the countries’ reserves will guarantee the survival of 40% of global marine species. 

“We welcome Ecuador’s rapid response to honor the ’30×30′ alliance that ensures transnational protection to this great marine corridor,” said Mouynes. “The amount of biodiversity that’s been protected is setting an example to the world and has generated great interest. It’s definitely a gift we have given our planet,” she added. 

At the inauguration, Minister Mouynes congratulated Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso for his country’s achievement, calling it “an important step in the protection of our common ocean.” She also spoke with regional and global conservation leaders, including Colombian President Iván Duque and former American President Bill Clinton. 

Under Minister Mouynes’ leadership, Panama has made conservation a key pillar of its climate diplomacy agenda. Developments like this one demonstrate the effectiveness of Panama’s leadership on environmental issues, which has led to tangible results in safeguarding the region’s natural beauty and biodiversity. In conservation, Panama has led not only by example – by becoming the first country to commit to and achieve conserving 30% of its territorial waters – but also by spurring regional action, most recently initiating efforts to add Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands to the conservation corridor. 

Panama pursues bold climate diplomacy initiatives like Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor in recognition that no single country can clean up our oceans or halt climate change by itself. Common problems necessitate common solutions. 

Panama applauds Ecuador for its commitments to international marine conservation and looks forward to continuing to foster collaboration in Latin America and on the world stage. 

In Galapagos, Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes spoke with former United States President Bill Clinton about the initiatives Panama promotes in environmental matters and she invited him to Panama to learn about projects such as the National Oceans Policy, which are generating so much positive attention from the international community.

PANAMA'S FOREIGN MINISTER MOUYNES AND U.S. SPECIAL PRESIDENTIAL ENVOY FOR CLIMATEJOHN KERRY HOLD PRODUCTIVE MEETING

During a productive virtual meeting between Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes and U. S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, Panama reiterated the common interest of the country and the United States in promoting public policies for greater protection of the oceans and effectively reducing CO2 emissions.