Panama in China-US Strategic Competition

The Diplomat author Mercy Kuo regularly engages subject-matter experts, policy practitioners, and strategic thinkers across the globe for their diverse insights into U.S. Asia policy. This conversation with Dr. Orlando J. Pérez – professor of...

Panama Starts Talks on Gas Pipeline Linking U.S. and Asia

The Panama Canal expects to begin construction of a gas pipeline in 2027, a project whose first formal talks with companies interested in participating will start this week, the head of the interoceanic waterway reported Tuesday. The 77-kilometer...

The Panama-David Train: France Takes the First Building Step

Panama and France signed a Declaration of Intent on Tuesday to promote the development of the Panama-David-Frontera train, a project that seeks to modernize the country’s rail system and strengthen regional connectivity. The ceremony took place at...

Mexico railway aims to be Panama Canal alternative for Asia trade

Transportation Hyundai has already used this overland route for US-bound autos The Interoceanic Train network will stretch across 1,000 kilometers once it is complete. (Photo by Tomohiro Ichihara) TOMOHIRO ICHIHARA September 17, 2025 21:31 JST...

Panama Canal maps out $8bn investment plan over next decade

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has set out an ambitious investment plan, for the next ten years, with the aim of strengthening its strategic role in global trade and ensuring its sustainability. The strategy was presented Tuesday, at a media...

BigLift and CY Shipping expand joint fleet

BigLift Shipping and CY Shipping are collaborating on joint heavy transport fleet investment. The two companies are increasing their joint fleet of Heavy Transport Vessels (HTV) to a total of eight, with the addition of two newly ordered BC-Class...

Announcing canal revamp, Panama dodges questions about Chinese ownership

Panamanian authorities on Tuesday announced an US$8.5 billion plan to modernise and expand the Panama Canal over the next decade, while sidestepping questions on whether Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison or others seen as having links to China could...

Large Panama Companies Invoiced Only Half of their Sales to Avoid Taxes

Panama is one of the countries with the lowest tax collection percentage relative to the size of its economy. It collects only 7% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), compared to the regional average of 14%, and even countries that collect up to 16%....

Panama Canal to Reserve Weekly Transit Slot for Dual-Fuel Ships from October

One weekly slot will be set aside for dual-fuel vessels from October. Image Credit: Panama Canal Authority The Panama Canal Authority will reserve one weekly transit slot for dual-fuel capable ships from October, as part of a new initiative to...

Image of the day: Restoring the wetlands of Panama’s Parita Bay

Stretching along the Pacific coast of central Panama, the wetlands of Parita Bay form one of the country’s most important habitats for migratory birds and coastal biodiversity. The bay’s network of mudflats, mangroves, and freshwater marshes...

Citizen Consultation Requested on Albrook Airport Transfer for the Panama-David Train

The National Aviation Coalition remains on alert regarding the proposal to relocate Albrook Airport to Panama Pacifico as part of the Panama-David railway project. Captain Jaime Fábrega, a member of the Coalition for National Aviation, stated that...

Panama Canal’s Net-Zero Slot Reservation Set for October Launch

The Panama Canal is set to open the selection process for its net-zero transit reservation system next month, offering shipping companies an incentive to accelerate the adoption of alternative fuels and low-carbon technologies. The first...

Colombia: President calls for prioritizing clean energy investments

Petro noted on his X profile that the state-run energy company Ecopetrol loses profitability if the international oil price falls below 50 dollars a barrel. In his opinion, his nation will be displaced from the market because it only offers heavy...

The great LNG shipping reset: how geopolitics is rewriting maritime energy rules

What began as a predictable point-to-point trade has transformed into a complex web of geopolitical calculations, environmental compliance, and strategic fleet planning that will define energy security for the next decade. The Disruption Reset The...

Over 180 shipping companies back IMO net zero framework

Battle lines are being drawn ahead of next month second IMO extraordinary MEPC meeting to decide on the adoption of the net zero framework agreed at the first meeting in April this year. On the same day that classification society ABS called on...

Panama Canal announces implementation of 'NetZero Slot[ to advance maritime decarbonisation

The Panama Canal, today, announced the launch of the NetZero Slot, a new category within its transit reservation system designed to encourage the decarbonisation of maritime shipping and to support the canal’s institutional commitment to achieving...

Panama Canal carves out weekly slot for dual-fuel pioneers

The Panama Canal has launched a new NetZero Slot, a category within its transit reservation system designed to encourage the decarbonisation of shipping. In an initial phase, vessels must be registered as dual-fuel to enter. The first competition...

AMISTAD 2025 launches final iteration in Panamá

CHITRÉ, Panama – U.S. Air Force and Panamanian medical teams launched the Panama iteration of AMISTAD 2025 with an opening ceremony at Hospital Dr. Gustavo Nelson Collado in Chitre, Panama, Sept. 15, 2025. The two-week mission marks the fifth and...

Panama Ministry of Economy Discloses Breach

Panama’s Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) has disclosed that one of its computers may have been compromised in a cyberattack. The government noted that it activated the security procedures for these situations, stating that the incident has...

All systems go for Panama Canal’s prirority passage program for dual-fuel vessels

The Panama Canal is set to implement a new category within its transit reservation system, the NetZero Slot, designed to propel maritime decarbonization and support the canal’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Illustration;...