Foreign Trade and Balance of Payments
Composition of Foreign Trade
In the ten-month period ended October 31, 2021, Panama’s exports of goods (FOB), excluding the CFZ, recorded a preliminary total of U.S.$2,816.4 million, an increase of 94.2% compared to U.S.$1,450.5 million in the same period of 2020, mainly due to increased exports of copper ores and concentrates. The increase in exports of copper ores and concentrates was due mainly to the Cobre Panama project. The concession contract for the mine is held by Minera Panamá, S.A., a Panamanian company whose majority owner is First Quantum Minerals, Ltd.
In the ten-month period ended October 31, 2021, Panama’s imports of goods (CIF), excluding the CFZ, recorded a preliminary total of U.S.$9,275.7 million, an increase of 42.2% compared to U.S.$6,521.6 million in the same period of 2020, in part due to higher imports of consumer goods, specifically fuel and lubricants.
For the ten-month period ended October 31, 2021, exports of copper ores and concentrates recorded a preliminary total of U.S.$2,193.1 million, a 144.2% increase from U.S.$898.1 million in the same period of 2020, primarily due to growth in export volumes from increased demand.
For the ten-month period ended October 31, 2021, banana and pineapple exports recorded a preliminary total of U.S.$129.2 million, a 2.5% increase from U.S.$126.1 million in the same period of 2020, primarily due to higher exports of bananas.
For the ten-month period ended October 31, 2021, shrimp exports recorded a preliminary total of U.S.$22.4 million, a 60.9% increase from U.S.$13.9 million in the same period of 2020, primarily due to higher sales in the United States.
For the ten-month period ended October 31, 2021, exports of fish and fish fillet (fresh and frozen) recorded a preliminary total of U.S.$45.0 million, a 6.0% decrease from U.S.$47.9 million in the same period of 2020, due to a decrease in the catch of fish and other marine species.
The United States has historically been Panama’s most important trading partner. During the nine-month period ended September 30, 2021, trade with the United States represented 3.9% and 26.0% of total goods exported and imported, respectively. In 2020, trade with the United States represented 6.1% and 25.6% of total goods exported and imported, respectively. In 2019, trade with the United States represented 6.5% and 25.4% of total goods exported and imported, respectively. In 2018, trade with the United States represented 16.9% and 24.8% of total goods exported and imported, respectively. In 2017, trade with the United States represented 18.3% and 24.2% of total goods exported and imported, respectively.
During the nine-month period ended September 30, 2021, Panama’s largest trading partners for exports were China, Japan, and Spain, with exports amounting to U.S.$827.2 million, U.S.$342.9 million, and U.S.$259.5 million, respectively.
During the nine-month period ended September 30, 2021, Panama’s largest trading partners for imports were the United States, China and Mexico, with imports amounting to U.S.$2,121.1 million, U.S.$921.3 million and U.S.$412.9 million, respectively. During this same period, imports from the CFZ totaled U.S.$578.8 million.
Foreign Direct Investment
Panama’s foreign direct investment (“FDI”) during the six-month period ended June 30, 2021 was U.S.$1,355.4 million, a decrease of U.S.$195.1 million or 12.6% from U.S.$1,550.5 million in the same period of 2020. Reinvested earnings were the source of 95.1% of FDI during the six-month period ended June 30, 2021, as a result of the recovery process from the COVID-19 pandemic. During the six-month period ended June 30,
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