Panama-United States Relations:
Panama shares nearly 150 years of history and strong cooperation with the United States. Among our wide range of shared interests include our broad economic, security, and political cooperation.
Recently Vice President Biden and former President Martinelli examined ways to make the U.S.-Panama economic cooperation stronger in global commerce and competitiveness. Panama is the quickest growing economy in the region, increasing 10.7 percent in 2012. Panama’s largest trading partner is the United States – making up roughly 23 percent of all two-way trade. U.S.- Panama trade increased by approximately 20 percent to over $10 billion in 2012 and has since continued to grow. Panama’s strategic location as a prime shipping route and its development of the Panama Canal will only add to the significance of the U.S.-Panama trade and the jobs it will support in both the United States and Panama.
BUSINESS RELATIONS
More Business Means More Travel:
The Vice President and former President Martinelli declared joint efforts to speed up travel between the United States and Panama. The Vice President announced Panama’s incorporation into the Global Entry Program starting January 1, 2014, which will authorize expedited clearance for pre-approved travelers upon arrival in the United States. President Martinelli also announced the incorporation of the United States into its reciprocal program, Panama Global Pass.
U.S.-Panama security cooperation is very close and serves to protect all the residents of the district. With the support of the United States, Panama took over 175 metric tons of cocaine in the last four years. The Vice President admitted Panama’s leadership in the international community and its commitment to the security of the Canal as shown by Panama’s interdiction on July 10, 2013 of the Motor Vessel Chong Chon Gang, which was transporting arms and related material from Cuba to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in apparent violation of UN Security Council sanctions. Panama’s cooperation with the UN to determine if sanctions busting occurred is a model of international responsibility by a sovereign state. The Vice President also highlighted Panama’s leadership as one of four Western Hemisphere countries that signed onto the September 2012 G-20 joint statement on Syria.
Global Commerce Relies on the Panama Canal:
More than $1 million ships have transported the canal since 1914, and approximately 5 percent of world trade goes though the isthmus every year. Following the opening of the expanded Canal in 2015, the Panama Canal Authority approximates that cargo capacity will double by 2025. Given that the United States is the origin and destination of two thirds of the ships transporting the Canal, the third, post-Panamax shipping lane will increase the competitiveness of U.S. exporters by lowering shipping costs.
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Panama's Leader
The image to the left displays Panamas new President, Juan Carlos Varela Rodríguez. He is new to this position and took on the title July 1, 2014.
President Rodriguez came to the United States to attend collge and recieved a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering in 1985 from Georgia Institute of Technology.
He won the election against the other parties including the former president Martinelli with 39% of the votes.
República de Panamá