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9. Trade and customs: Panama

Trade and customs in Panama: how the Autoridad Nacional de Aduanas clears goods under Decreto Ley 1 de 2008 and the Central American customs code, licensed broker fees, the 2026 national tariff with duty, ITBMS and excise columns, customs regimes and binding consultations, courier imports with a B/.100 tax free band, the Colón Free Zone after the 2023 reform, Ley 32 de 2011 free zones, the authorized economic operator programme, penalties and audits, and the trade agreements Panama has approved, including the 2025 Mercosur framework that links it with Argentina, each tied to the official text.

Investor view. A dollarized logistics hub with the Canal, the Colón Free Zone, tax exempt free zones and agreements with the United States, the European Union and Central America gives traders and manufacturers low friction access to the Americas, and the 2023 free zone reform rewards companies that put real operations in the country.

• Importing and exporting in Panama: the customs authority, licensed brokers, the B/.50 minimum broker fee and declaring every shipmentPanama's Autoridad Nacional de Aduanas (ANA) runs customs under Decreto Ley 1 de 2008 and, since Panama joined Central American economic integration through Ley 26 de 2013, the Central American custom
• Import tariffs and taxes in Panama: the national tariff, duty (DAI), 7 percent ITBMS, excise (ISC) and customs valuePanama's Arancel Nacional de Importación, based on the Harmonized System and updated by ANA to the VII amendment in 2026, shows four rates for each tariff line: import duty (DAI), ITBMS, excise (ISC)
• Customs regimes and clearance in Panama: definitive, suspensive and industrial regimes, binding advance consultations, guarantees and refundsEvery good entering Panama must be placed under a customs regime chosen by the importer: definitive import or export, suspensive regimes such as transit, deposit, transshipment and temporary admission
• Courier and low value imports in Panama: tax free shipments up to B/.100, the B/.100 to B/.2,000 simplified band and courier licensingExpress courier shipments into Panama are governed by ANA Resolución 049 de 2025. Documents and small consignments with a customs value of B/.100 or less, not subject to permits or restrictions, pay n
• Colón Free Zone: duty free trade, income tax exemption on foreign operations with substance tests, 5 percent dividend tax and the 2023 reformThe Colón Free Zone (Zona Libre de Colón) is a State institution that operates a walled international free trade area where goods enter, are stored, processed and re-exported free of all taxes, and us
• Free zones in Panama under Ley 32 de 2011: promoter and company licences, tax exemptions, 5 percent dividend tax and flexible labour rulesLey 32 de 2011 lets private, State or mixed promoters develop free zones anywhere in Panama, licensed by the National Free Zones Commission, where companies producing goods, services, logistics, high
• Panama's trade agreements: the US TPC, the EU and UK association agreements, Central America, Canada, Mexico, Korea, Israel and the 2025 Mercosur frameworkThe Ministry of Commerce and Industries lists Panama's regional agreements (EU and UK association agreements with Central America, the Central American FTAs and customs union protocol, Korea and Centr
• Authorized Economic Operator (OEA) in Panama: certification, low risk channel benefits, three year validity and annual revalidationPanama's Authorized Economic Operator programme (Operador Económico Autorizado, OEA), created by Decreto Ejecutivo 988 de 2013 and run by an OEA office inside ANA, certifies importers, couriers and ot
• Customs penalties and audits in Panama: 50 percent surcharge on errors, five year post clearance audits, and contraband as a crime from B/.500,000ANA may audit declarations for five years after acceptance and collect unpaid duties with interest and surcharges; honest errors found at inspection carry a 50 percent surcharge on the duty underpaid,

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