Panama projects 7.8% growth in exports during 2026

Panamanian exports maintain a growth trend in 2026 driven by the dynamism of agro-industrial and fisheries products and manufactured goods, while the Government is committed to strengthening the international presence of national production through the "Made in Panama" seal, a strategy that already includes more than 250 companies and more than 500 registered products.

The Minister of Commerce and Industries, Julio Moltó, assured that Panama projects for this year an export growth close to 7.8%, despite the departure of the Cobre Panamá mine and the recent effects on sectors such as the banana industry.

As explained, the country has managed to diversify its exportable offer and expand the base of products that reach international markets that are increasingly demanding.

“Panama continues to strengthen its export competitiveness and expand its presence in international markets,” Moltó stated during a business meeting organized by the Panamanian Association of Business Executives (APEDE), where he defended that the country maintains the capacity to produce, transform, and export goods with added value.

The official figures at the end of March show a significant change within the Panamanian export basket. Frozen shrimp and prawns took the lead in national exports, with sales of $31.4 million and a 12.5% share of total exports in the first quarter of the year, surpassing bananas, which historically topped the list of products sent abroad.

Panamanian coffee continues to consolidate in premium markets in Asia, Europe, and the United States.

We recommend reading: Behind the shrimp, other products appear such as cane sugar, tin, fresh watermelons, crude palm oil, copper and aluminum waste, in addition to Panamanian coffee, which continues to consolidate in premium markets in Asia, Europe and the United States. Molto explained that the rise of Panamanian shrimp responds to changes in global supply chains and the quality offered by the national product. He even revealed that Ecuadorian companies in the shrimp sector have begun to establish operations in Panama, attracted by the country's logistical and productive conditions. "Nowadays our shrimp are desired worldwide," said the minister, who also highlighted the growth of processing plants and the Panamanian fishing sector. The official recalled that in 2023 the main export product of Panama was copper from the mine Cobre Panama, an operation suspended since the end of that year after the unconstitutionality ruling issued by the Supreme Court of Justice. To that was later added the crisis in the banana sector, which also temporarily affected national exports. However, the Government maintains that the country has managed to sustain export growth through greater product diversification and markets. Moltó indicated that during the first quarter of 2026 agro-industrial exports grew 42.7%, while the industrial sector registered an approximate increase of 22.3%.