Coverage of Panama’s corporate world, markets, startups, and trade developments. We provide news, analysis, and practical insights for business leaders and entrepreneurs.
A proposal to charge transit passengers at Tocumen could undermine Panama’s hub status, risk airline routes and revenues, and may be avoidable through smarter commercial strategies.
Rising global oil prices are driving up fuel costs in Panama, prompting higher state subsidies and adding strain to public finances as debt exceeded $60.05 billion, warns Finance Minister Felipe Chapman.
State-subsidized preferential-interest mortgages and mortgage-backed loan products like Banco General’s CasaCash are helping Panamanians access homeownership and liquidity while underscoring the need for informed financial choices.
Jiangsu Aidea, a Chinese developer of anti-HIV and AIDS treatments listed on Shanghai’s Star Market, plans a Hong Kong IPO to help fund expansion into US and European markets.
Money20/20’s “Future of Fintech in APAC” report finds fintech expansion momentum moving from Western hubs to Asia, with Southeast Asia the primary focus for growth and financial inclusion efforts.
Panama rice producers warn that higher input and fuel costs make a price increase for rice inevitable, a move that could raise food costs for households.
Panama’s Bill 443, mandating a 10% bioethanol blend in gasoline, has drawn support from producers and criticism from deputies who say the first debate lacked adequate information and questioned its obligatoriness.
Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide lost patent protection in China on March 20, triggering at least 10 domestic weight‑loss drugs to seek approval as regulators speed up drug clearances. The market could reach about US$14 billion by 2030.
An editorial argues Panama has the geography and resources to grow faster but must remove bureaucratic hurdles, boost supply-chain linkages and roll back inefficient protectionism. It urges CADES-Panamá to drive evidence-based reforms and concrete targets for faster permits and greater local value capture.
Acodeco has ordered a safety notice over possible malfunctions in certain Frigidaire and Frigidaire Gallery stoves sold in Panama; the alert covers serial numbers VF52200000–VF54399999 and 96 units acquired locally.
Mayor Mayer Mizrachi’s Canal Underline tunnel proposal did not win The Boring Company’s competition but reached the final round despite lacking funding, highlighting financing and feasibility challenges.
Shipping Telegraph reports CK Hutchison’s Panama unit (PPC) has expanded claims against the Republic of Panama, saying losses now exceed $2 billion; details and responses remain limited.
Electrolux warned of a potential slow-ignition fault in select Frigidaire stoves sold in Panama; Acodeco ordered sales suspended and advised users to stop using affected units until parts are replaced.
Rising energy and shipping risks tied to the Middle East conflict are pushing up global fertilizer costs, with potential consequences for Panama through higher input and food prices and strain on small farms.
After constitutional rulings on a mining project and port concession, Panama faces calls for a law to define and protect strategic assets and critical infrastructure to ensure legal certainty and national security.
Singapore has postponed a planned sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) levy from next month to Oct. 1, saying higher fuel costs tied to the Iran war make the timing difficult for airlines and passengers.
CLP Power will raise its fuel cost adjustment from 39.2 to 39.8 HK cents per kWh from April 1, the first FCA increase in over a year, citing higher-than-forecast fuel costs.
Deutsche Bank warns the month-long US-Israeli war in Iran could test the petrodollar system and encourage Gulf states to move toward China-backed petroyuan settlements, with possible global currency impacts.
The Cámara Marítima de Panamá warned that deterioration of Avenida Randolph in Colón is harming port logistics—this artery moves about 46% of the country’s TEUs and needs urgent repairs.
Shoppers at Merca La Chorrera are favoring “La puerquita sopera,” a bag of legumes sold for one balboa, as they search for affordable staples at the market.