---
title: "Mulino Courts Global Free Zone Investors at Panama Congress"
date: 2026-05-13
author: ""
url: https://panamadaily.news/panama-free-zones-investment-congress/
categories:
  - "Business"
  - "Economy"
  - "Politics"
tags:
  - "foreign investment"
  - "free zones"
  - "José Raúl Mulino"
  - "logistics hub"
  - "Panama Convention Center"
  - "World FZO"
---

# Mulino Courts Global Free Zone Investors at Panama Congress

## What Happened

President José Raúl Mulino used the opening of the XII World Free Zones Organization Congress in Panama to call on business leaders and representatives of free zones around the world to invest in the country, expand operations and use Panama as a bridge to new markets.

Speaking at the Panama Convention Center in Amador, Mulino said Panama offers conditions that make it attractive for international trade and logistics. He framed the country as a partner for exporters and free zone operators rather than a rival, saying Panama can help improve competitiveness.

## Why Panama Is Pitching Itself

Mulino said his government sees free zones as an engine of economic freedom, global commerce and national development. He also pointed to what he described as a solid financial system, economic growth above 4% a year, a sharp reduction in country risk and the biggest fiscal deficit decline in the continent in 2025.

The president tied those claims to a broader message that investment drives development, creates wealth and strengthens consumers’ purchasing power. He said Panama is pursuing an agenda of order and simplification designed to further support foreign investment and business activity.

## Panama’s Role in Global Trade

The congress brings together world leaders, policymakers, free zone executives and investors to discuss trade, innovation, public policy and sustainable infrastructure development. For Panama, hosting the event reinforces its role as a logistics hub connecting markets across the Americas and beyond.

Mulino’s remarks also highlighted a longstanding theme in Panama’s economic strategy: using the country’s geographic position, banking system and logistics network to attract companies that need access to regional and international routes. Free zones are central to that vision because they allow firms to operate with special customs and trade advantages.

## International Attendance

World FZO president Mohammed Al Zarooni thanked Panama and Mulino for supporting the gathering, saying the meeting should help build consensus on how global trade can face current and emerging geopolitical challenges. The event also included Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader and Martin Pedersen, president of the International Free Zone Authority.

With senior delegates from governments, multinational companies and free zone organizations in attendance, the congress placed Panama at the center of a major international business conversation. Mulino used that platform to argue that the country is open to commerce and ready to connect investors with opportunities.