Includes customs regulations and contact information for this country's customs office.
Last Published: 4/17/2016
Panama assesses import duties on an ad valorem basis.  The ad valorem system uses the declared CIF value as the basis for import duty calculations and in some cases utilizes historical price information as a reference. 

In addition to the duty, all imports into Panama are subject to a 7 percent transfer or value added tax (ITBM) levied on the CIF value, plus import duty and other handling charges.  Pharmaceuticals, foods, and school supplies are exempt from the ITBM tax.
Due to the TPA between the U.S. and Panama, some 87% of U.S. products enter Panama duty free.  For other products, duties may be phased out over time.  Since there are a number of exceptions, it is convenient to check what products are under duty free regime.  We suggest that U.S. exporters go through the following process to determine duties today and in the future:

  1. Customs Info Database - shows you tariffs/duties that Panama is currently assessing.  You can access this database by simply signing up with your email address.  Note: Panama already allows duty-free imports for certain projects, e.g. Canal expansion or Metro construction.  Please contact us for more information on these exceptions.

  2. Tariff Tool for Free Trade Agreements – shows you how tariffs will be phased out for any particular good in any country that has a Free Trade Agreement (current or pending) with the U.S.  Cautionary note: this tool does not show agricultural products.  In addition, it is not completely accurate for current tariff rates; instead, it shows what Panama is allowed to charge, which may be higher.

If you are selling a product with U.S. content, even if it is being sold through the Colón Free Zone to other countries in Latin America, it is worth documenting the content of origin.  Doing so makes  your products more profitable if sold not only in Panama but through the Colón Free Zone to other countries in Latin America with which the U.S. has a Free Trade Agreement, e.g. Chile, Peru, Colombia, or Dominican Republic.  Documenting content of origin is not difficult – a sample Content of Origin document is available for your use here.
 
Beginning in 1995, Panama adopted the Harmonized System (HS) or Tariff Nomenclature as its customs classification system.
 
In general, the Panamanian customs system does not represent a significant obstacle for U.S. exporters.
 
Contact information for the Panamanian customs’ office is:
 
Direccion General de Aduanas
P.O. Box 0819-07729
Panama, Panama
Phone: +507-506-6407
Fax:     +507-506-6240
Contact: Jose Gomez Nunez, Director
E-Mail: Analida.lopez@ana.gob.pa
Web:    www.ana.gob.pa
 

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.


More Information

Panama Trade Development and Promotion Foreign Trade Regulations