Panama Business & Economy News

  JP Morgan believes the reopening of Cobre Panamá could represent 4% of GDP by 2027. The financial institution considers that the return of mining operations could become one of the main drivers of economic growth, public finances, and investor confidence in Panama. Source: El Panamá América (Panama Business Economy News). Panama continues to strengthen its position as one of the economies with the best growth prospects in Latin America. This is reflected in a recent JP Morgan report, which incorporates the reopening of Cobre Panamá into its baseline scenario for the second half of 2027 and identifies it as one of the factors with the greatest potential to boost the national economy in the coming years. The analysis is part of a broader assessment of the country's fiscal and economic outlook. In it, the institution highlights that Panama maintains favorable conditions for preserving its investment grade rating, supported by progress in fiscal consolidation, economic performance, a...

  Panama's Balboa, Cristobal ports see recovery in container transit Panama's container transit at Balboa and Cristobal ports has shown a positive trend towards recovery after a slump in February, with significant increases in May. Source: Reuters   (Panama Business News). Panamas Ports Authority On Monday June 22nd Said That Container Transit Along Its Balboa And Cristobal Ports Saw A Positive Trend Towards Recovery Following The Slump In Transit Seen In February After The Government Annulled Key Contracts And Took Control Of The Administration Of The Ports The Balboa Port. Panama's ​Ports ‌Authority on Monday said ​that container transit along ‌its Balboa and Cristobal ports saw a positive trend towards recovery ‌following the slump in transit ‌seen in February after the government annulled key contracts and took control ​ of the administration of the ports. The Balboa port, on the country's Pacific coast, saw container transit reach 221,536 moves in May fro...

Tocumen Panama surpasses 9.5 million passengers between January and May 2026 Average daily passenger traffic reached 63,990 movements, with peaks on Sundays, Mondays, and Fridays. Source:La Estrella de Panamà (Panama Business News). Tocumen International Airport continues to solidify its position as the leading air hub in Latin America. Between January and May 2026, it handled a total of 9,597,977 passengers, representing a 15% increase compared to the same period of the previous year, equivalent to 998,680 additional travelers. In May 2026 alone, Tocumen registered 1,983,874 passengers, supported by a network of more than 90 international connections. 77% of travelers (1,519,380 people) were transit or transfer passengers, reaffirming Panama's importance as a strategic connectivity point.  A total of 228,723 passengers disembarked, a 2% increase compared to May 2025. The 235,771 passengers who boarded reflected a 1% increase. The average daily passenger flow reached 63,990 movemen...

    Panama's Economy Grows 4.8% in the First Quarter of 2026 The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) indicated that the Panamanian economy registered a growth of 4.8% during the first quarter of 2026, according to the report on Quarterly Gross Domestic Product (GDP) released by the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC) of the Comptroller General of the Republic. Source: EFE This result reflects a solid performance of national economic activity and far exceeds the average growth observed in Latin America during the same period. Furthermore, the growth achieved in the first quarter already surpasses the 3.9% annual projection estimated by international organizations for Panama in 2026, demonstrating a more dynamic start to the year than anticipated. The report indicates that GDP reached B/.22,550.7 million, representing an increase of B/.1,032.2 million compared to the same period in 2025. Among the domestic economic activities that drove this performanc...

  Panama Stopover Program expanded to 15 days by Copa Airlines Copa Airlines is stretching its Panama Stopover program from seven to 15 days, giving the carrier and the country a longer window to turn Tocumen International Airport’s connecting passengers into actual visitors. Source: Business Traveller The expansion, offered at no additional airfare cost, comes as Copa prepares to carry close to 21 million passengers in 2026 and operate up to 420 daily flights through Panama City. Both the airline and Panama’s tourism partners aim to welcome over 250,000 stopover visitors in 2026, up from 215,000 last year. The airline believes that the additional week in its stopover program will give passengers the opportunity to visit a country that they might not typically consider. Copa’s focus on stopovers is built on the country’s strategic geography. Its position between North, Central, and South America makes Tocumen Airport an ideal point for the airline’s hub-and-spoke operatio...