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An Exporter’s Guide to Panama The Partial Scope Agreement between Trinidad and Tobago and Panama

CONTENTS

UNDERSTANDING THE PARTIAL SCOPE AGREEMENT Overview A Commitment to Trade Facilitation Rules of Origin Wholly Produced Goods Goods Not Wholly Produced or Obtained Insufficient Processes for Meeting Origin Requirements Accessories, Spare Parts and Tools Fungible Materials Sets Packaging Indirect Materials Transportation Issues Certificate of Origin Verification of Origin Guaranteed Payment of Revenue Bilateral Safeguard Measures Antidumping Measures Reducing Technical Barriers to Trade Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Trade in Services

ABOUT PANAMA Panama: Facts and Figures Market Overview

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EXPORT PROCEDURES Exporting from Trinidad & Tobago Importing into Panama: General Timeframes and Costs Other Import Requirements Translation Services Shipping Information

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UNDERSTANDING THE PARTIAL SCOPE AGREEMENT OVERVIEW The Partial Scope Agreement between Trinidad and Tobago and Panama aims to promote the expansion of trade in goods and services between both countries, by contributing to the removal of trade barriers, strengthening co-operation activities in related areas and providing fair conditions of competition for trade.

The Agreement proposes that there will be no prohibitions or restrictions on the importation, exportation or sale for export of any good unless otherwise stated and in accordance with international trade laws. Additionally, neither consular fees nor consular formalities will be required for traded goods. There are instances, however, where bilateral or global safeguard measures may be administered, affecting the preferential tariffs.

Additionally, agricultural products are accorded special treatment. Trinidad and Tobago and Panama aim to establish a fair and market-oriented agriculture trading system, working towards the reduction of export subsidies to improve market access.

The Joint Administration Commission is mandated to supervise the implementation and administration of the Agreement and review its general functioning.

A COMMITMENT TO TRADE FACILITATION In order to facilitate trade, both countries will ensure that procedures are efficient to reduce costs for importers and exporters and simplified where appropriate to achieve such efficiency. They also agree that entry procedures will be transparent to ensure predictability for importers and exporters. To promote trade, co-operation, technical assistance and information exchange, including information on trade practices will also be encouraged. To this end, a technical co-operation work programme will be formed to consider new measures such as electronic exchange of information, exchange of vessel registry data, ports co-operation, the strengthening of air transportation and other logistics of trade, the use of automated systems and electronic data interchange (EDI) to improve communication, protocols for effective cross-border logistics, transhipment of goods, goods in international transit, commercial practices and payment procedures.

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WHAT ARE THE RULES OF ORIGIN? Goods will enjoy preferential tariffs provided they satisfy the Rules of Origin. Originating goods consists of the following: 

Goods wholly produced or obtained from either country;

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Goods originating in either country when used as an input for a finished product.

WHAT ARE WHOLLY PRODUCED GOODS? Wholly produced goods include: 

Minerals and other non-living natural resources extracted in or taken from either or both countries;

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Plants and plant products harvested from either or both countries;

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Live animals born and raised in either or both countries;

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Goods obtained from live animals from either or both countries;

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Goods obtained from hunting, trapping, fishing or aquaculture from either or both countries;

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Fish, shellfish or other marine life taken from the sea, seabed or subsoil outside countries by a vessel registered or recorded with one of the countries or a vessel leased by a company established in one of the countries and entitled to fly its flag;

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Goods produced on board factory vessels from the items referred to above, provided the factory vessel is registered or recorded with a country or leased by a company established in the country and entitled to fly its flag;

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Waste and scrap resulting from utilization, consuming or manufacturing operations conducted in either or both countries, provided they are fit only for the recovery of raw materials;

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Goods produced in any of the countries exclusively from the products specified above.

WHAT ABOUT GOODS THAT ARE NOT WHOLLY PRODUCED OR OBTAINED? Goods are still eligible for tariff reduction if they are produced from non-originating materials that have firstly, undergone a change of tariff classification and secondly, where the final process of manufacture is performed in the exporting country.

WHEN ARE PROCESSES CONSIDERED INSUFFICIENT FOR ORIGIN REQUIREMENTS? It must be noted that the following processes are not sufficient to confer originating status on products:

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Preserving operations to ensure that the products remain in good condition during transport and storage such as airing, drying, refrigerating as well as immersing in salty or sulphured water or in water added with other substances, extracting damaged parts and other similar operations;

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Dilution in water or in any other substance that will not alter the product’s initial characteristics;

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Simple operations such as removal of dust, sifting, screening, sorting, classifying, grading, matching, washing, painting, husking, stoning of seeds, slicing and cutting;

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Repackaging either by breaking-up packages or assembling new packages;

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Simple packing in bottles, cans, flasks, bags, cases, boxes, fixing on cards or boards and all other simple packaging operations;

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Affixing or printing marks, labels, logos and other like distinguishing signs on products or their packaging;

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Simple cleaning, including removal of oxide, oil, paint or other coverings;

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Simple assembly of parts to constitute a complete article or, disassembly of products into parts;

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Slaughter of animals;

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Simple mixing of products, provided the characteristics of the obtained product are not essentially different from those of the mixed products;

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Operations which consist solely of welding, soldering, fastening, riveting, bolting and the like or otherwise putting together of finished parts or components to constitute a finished product;

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Oil application;

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The combination of two or more of the above operations.

HOW ARE ACCESSORIES, SPARE PARTS AND TOOLS CLASSIFIED? An accessory, spare part or tool that forms part of the good’s standard deliverables and is delivered with the good, is considered an originating good. To qualify, they should not be invoiced separately from the good and their quantity and value should be of the customary amount. Their value is also taken into account, whether as originating or non-originating materials, when determining the regional value content of the good.

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WHAT ARE FUNGIBLE MATERIALS? Fungible materials, that is, materials that are interchangeable for commercial purposes, and whose properties are essentially identical, will be identified as originating or not in accordance with the recognised inventory management method.

ARE SETS CONSIDERED ‘ORIGINATING’? Sets will be considered originating when all goods contained in the set qualify as originating goods. If it consists of both originating and non-originating goods, the whole set will be regarded as originating once the value of the non-originating goods does not exceed 10% of the FOB value of the set.

HOW DOES PACKAGING AFFECT ORIGIN REQUIREMENTS? The packaging material or container in which a good is packaged for retail sale or for transport is not considered when determining origin.

INDIRECT MATERIALS, ORIGINATING OR NOT? Indirect materials or neutral elements are goods used in the production, testing or inspection of goods but not physically incorporated into the goods or they may consist of goods used in the maintenance of buildings or the operation of equipment associated with the production of goods. They will be considered as originating materials regardless of where they are produced. Their value will be identified as the cost registered in the accounting records of the producer of the export product. These types of materials include the following: 

Energy and fuel;

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Plant and equipment;

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Tools, dies, machines and moulds;

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Parts and materials used in the maintenance of plant, equipment and buildings;

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Goods which do not enter into the final composition of the product;

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Gloves, glasses, footwear, clothing, safety equipment, and supplies;

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Equipment, devices and supplies used for testing or inspecting the goods;

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Lubricant grease, compounding material or other material used in the production or operation of equipment or buildings;

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Catalysts or solvents.

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HOW DO TRANSPORTATION ISSUES AFFECT RULES OF ORIGIN? Exporters should note that a good will not be regarded as originating if it undergoes subsequent production or any other operation outside of the originating country other than unloading, reloading or any other operation necessary to preserve the good in pristine condition or to transport the good to the importing country. It must also remain under the control of customs authorities during transhipment.

WHAT IS THE CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN? The certificate of origin is the document that certifies that products meet the rules of origin requirements. It is valid for one year from the date of signature.

The certificate of origin has to include a declaration by the exporter or final producer that the origin requirement has been met and a certificate by the authorised body of the exporting country that the declaration is accurate.

In cases where the exporter is not the final producer of the goods, it is the exporter who must still present the declaration of origin to the authorised body. The certificate must also be prepared by the exporter in the country of final production.

The certificate must also contain the signature of an official notified by the authorised body of the exporting country and the date on it must not precede that of the relevant commercial invoice. Where importers have reason to believe that the certificate or other information on which the declaration is based is incorrect, the exporter will be required to make a corrected declaration and pay any duties owed. Exporters failing to comply with the overall requirements will be denied the tariff reduction for goods.

Exporters claiming preferential treatment will be required to maintain the certificate of origin and all other information qualifying a good’s origins for a period of seven years from the date of the certificate. These records will have to be produced during this period if they are requested by the relevant authorities.

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HOW ARE ORIGIN REQUIREMENTS VERIFIED? To verify that origin requirements have been met, Panamanian authorities may conduct verification exercises through its customs authority. This involves requesting information from an exporter or producer through the Trinidad and Tobago authorities. Within five days of the request from Panama, the Trinidad and Tobago authorities will notify the exporter/producer and obtain their consent to conduct the exercise. Once consent is given, this will be followed by visits to the exporter’s/producer’s premises to review records and observe the production of goods. They may also mutually agree on other verification procedures.

It should be noted that the notification of visit will include the following information: 

The identity of the designated entity issuing the notification;

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The name of the exporter or producer whose premises are to be visited;

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The date and place of the proposed verification visit;

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The object and scope of the verification visit, including specific reference to the goods which are the subject of the verification;

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The names and designation of the officials who will carry out the visit;

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The legal basis for the verification visit.

Should an exporter or producer refuse to consent to the verification visit or provide requested information within 30 days of the notification, they may be denied preferential tariff treatment on the goods in question. An extension of 10 days may be granted for the submission of any documents required for the verification exercise. Additionally, the proposed verification visit may be postponed for a maximum of 15 days from the date of receipt of notification or longer once both parties agree.

The exporter/producer may designate two observers to be present during a visit provided that they do not participate in the process and act solely as observers. However, the failure of the exporter/producer to designate the observers will not result in the postponement of the visit.

The exporter/producer will be provided with a written account of whether or not the goods have qualified as originating, including findings of the exercise and legal basis for their determination, within 21 days. 8

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IS PAYMENT OF REVENUE GUARANTEED? Customs authorities will not interrupt an import procedure of the products covered by the Certificate of Origin. However, they may request appropriate additional information from the customs authorities of the other country and adopt any action deemed fit to safeguard its fiscal interests. Customs can take appropriate action with respect to any financial security given to protect the fiscal interest based on the verification exercise.

WHICH BILATERAL SAFEGUARD MEASURES MAY BE INSTITUTED? There are special circumstances under which bilateral safeguard measures may be applied by either country. These include times when: 

Importation of products are made in such quantities that they may threaten serious injury to the domestic market;

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It is necessary to redress balance of payment deficits or to protect the external financial position of the importing country.

Safeguard measures will consist of the temporary suspension of the tariff reductions and the application of the Most Favoured Nation duties for that specific product. These measures will be applied for an initial period of one year maximum and they may be renewed for an additional year if circumstances persist.

Either country may also institute global safeguard actions in accordance with international trade laws. However, this will not be implemented at the same time as a bilateral safeguard measure on the same product. Additionally, global safeguard measures are subject to the World Trade Organisation’s Dispute Settlement provisions, whereas the bilateral measures are not.

ARE ANTIDUMPING MEASURES CONSIDERED? Both parties will be governed by the World Trade Organisations antidumping and countervailing measures, including dispute resolution. If there is evidence of injury to a domestic market that is brought about by unfair trade practices such as export subsidies and dumping, corrective measures may be taken.

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HOW WILL TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE BE REDUCED? In order to increase mutual understanding of their systems and to facilitate access to their markets, both countries will strengthen their co-operation in the fields of standards, technical regulations, conformity assessment, accreditation and metrology systems. Opportunities to promote technical co-operation between regulatory agencies will be encouraged, including information sharing and internship and training programmes.

WILL SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES BE CONSIDERED? Both countries will co-operate in the area of sanitary and phytosanitary measures to promote and develop trade of animals, animal products, plants, plant products and food products. This will aid in preventing the introduction or spread of pest or disease and to enhance plant and animal health and food safety.

To this end, there will be information exchange on regulations standards, procedures, models of certification and technologies related to animal and plant quarantine, food safety, risk management and international standards.

WILL TRADE IN SERVICES BE LIBERALISED? In recognition of the increasing importance of trade in services, both countries will liberalise progressively services sectors of economic interest, including travel and tourism, information and communication technology; maritime transport, financial services, education services, construction services; recreational, health and related services; cultural and sporting services and energy services.

Access by service suppliers will be enhanced through the negotiation of Mutual Recognition Agreements.

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ABOUT PANAMA PANAMA: FACTS AND FIGURES Official name: Republic of Panama Capital: Panama City Area: 75,420 sq km Population size: 3,460,462 Population growth: 1.5% Demographics: 70% mestizo, 14% African descent, 10% Spanish descent – white, 5% mulatto Age structure: 0-14 years: 28.1%; 15-64 years: 64.5%; 65 years and over: 7.4% Location: Borders on the Caribbean Sea in the north, the Pacific Ocean in the south, Colombia in the east and Costa Rica in the west; 9 00N, 80 00W Official language: Spanish Currency: Balboa Government system: Constitutional Democracy President: Martin Torrijos Exchange rate: 1B = 1US Official time: GMT -5 Telephone Area Code: 011 +507 +phone number Main Airports: Tocumen International Airport, Albrook Airport, Bocas del Toro Airport, Enrique Malek Airport Main Ports: Balboa, Cristobal and Colon (Manzanillo)

MARKET OVERVIEW Panama’s economy is based largely on a well-developed services sector, which contributes to more than three quarters of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Services include Panama Canal operations, logistics, banking, the Colon Free Zone, insurance, container ports, flagship registry and tourism. Economic growth will be boosted by the Panama Canal expansion project which aims to double the Canal’s capacity and accommodate much larger ships. Panama’s booming transportation and logistics services sectors, along with aggressive infrastructure development projects, have lead the economy to continued growth.

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Although it boasts one of the highest per capita GDP in the region, Panama also suffers from the second worst income distribution rate in Latin America, with some 30% of the population living in poverty. However, both poverty and unemployment rates have been decreasing. Its main imports consist of fuel products, medicines, vehicles, iron and steel rods and cellular phones.

Panama is strategically located, bridging two oceans and continents, and is considered a maritime and air transport hub. It possesses modern harbours on two oceans, the Caribbean and Pacific, which are linked by a railway network. There are two shipping lines from Panama to the Caribbean and goods can be transported to the market within four days. The Colon Free Zone (CFZ), the second largest in the world, can be a distribution centre and logistics hub for Trinidad and Tobago to service other Latin American markets. CFZ imports a wide variety of luxury goods, electronic products, clothing and other consumer products, which arrive from around the globe to be resold, repackaged and reshipped to regional markets.

Consumer attitudes, buying patterns and many brand preferences are similar to the US. As a result of positive economic change in Panama and other Latin American countries, goods are becoming more affordable and available. Panamanians with more disposable income seek out value-added consumer goods that create better living standards. Due to its open economy, Panama has few market access problems and a common market entry strategy is the appointment of an agent or distributor. Another option is to identify a local partner to provide market knowledge and contacts. Acquiring licences and franchises are another viable option.

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EXPORT PROCEDURES EXPORTING FROM TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO Exporting successfully requires a great deal of pre-planning. Before even starting the export process, companies must assess their export readiness, build an export plan, research and select their target market and create an export marketing plan. They must also determine the best methods of delivering a product or service to the target market inclusive of the most relevant entry strategies, in addition to developing a sound financial plan and understanding the key legal aspects of international trade.

When identifying the goods you wish to export, determine whether they are controlled, prohibited or regulated and if a permit, licence or certificate to export is required. The goods need to be allowed to be exported from Trinidad and Tobago and allowed entry into the importing country.

It is also important to identify accurately the country of origin of the goods, ensuring that they comply with the rules of origin in the trade agreement so that you may access the preferential tariffs.

The Customs and Excise Division of the Ministry of Finance and the Economy is responsible for approving all exports emanating from Trinidad and Tobago.

To export commercial goods, the exporter must hire a customs broker to fill out the required documentation. Commercial and non-commercial exporters must also perform the following actions: 

Fill out a Customs Declaration Form (C82 Form) in four copies, which is provided by your broker;

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Submit the C82 Form along with other required documents (see below) to a customs officer at a Customs and Excise office for signature;

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Take the signed C82 Form and the goods to be exported to the Import/Export station from which the goods are to be exported.

The basic documents required for exporting are as follows: 

Invoice showing the price paid locally;

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Export licence, for those items that are on the Consolidated List of Licensable Exports below;

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Certificate of origin.

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The Consolidated List of Licensable Exports The following items can only be exported with an Export Licence: 1. Coral and other aquatic life found in the country’s marine environment including coral, turtle, turtle eggs, aquarium fish, fish, molluscs, lobster, shrimp, crabs and other aquatic invertebrates. 2. Works of art, artefacts, and archaeological findings. 3. Clays, crushed limestone, boulders, sand, gravel, plastering sand, porcellanite, argillite, oil sand. 4. All plant species including tissue culture and other propagation material of these that are listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). 5. Embryos and artificial insemination material. 6. All animal species listed in the CITES, as well as all endangered species of Trinidad and Tobago, whether live specimens, their parts, or derivatives, that is mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish or invertebrate. 7. Non-Ferrous Metal Scrap and Ores. 8. Human Organs. 9. Explosives, firearms, ammunition and ordnance. 10. Items which are subsidised either directly or indirectly – rice, gasoline, kerosene, liquid petroleum gas. 11. Electro-medical or medical or medical electronic equipment. 12. Duty-free capital goods e.g. mining, construction and other industrial machinery. 13. Agricultural machinery including imported fishing boats and their engines. (Source: The Ministry of Finance & the Economy’s website: www.finance.gov.tt)

According to the World Bank’s “Doing Business 2013” series, “Economy Profile: Trinidad and Tobago”, the average time for exporting a standard shipment of goods from Trinidad and Tobago is 11 days at an average cost of US$843 per 20-foot container and requires in general five documents. These documents include a bill of lading, a CARICOM invoice or Certificate of Origin, a commercial invoice, customs export declaration form (Form C82) and a packing list. Other average costs and times for export procedures are as follows: 

Documents preparation: US$253 over 5 days

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Customs clearance and technical control: US$205 over 1 day

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Ports and terminal handling: US$160 over 2 days

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Inland transportation and handling: US$225 over 3 days 14

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The total average time and costs for these procedures is $843 over 11 days.

The report also indicated that Trinidad and Tobago had reduced the time to export by its recent launch of the AYSCUDA World electronic data interchange system and simplifying the process for obtaining a certificate of origin.

IMPORTING INTO PANAMA: GENERAL TIMEFRAMES AND COSTS According to the World Bank’s “Doing Business 2013” series, “Economy Profile: Panama”, the average time for importing a standard shipment of goods into Panama is nine days at an average cost of $965 per 20-foot container and requires three documents. These documents include a bill of lading, a commercial invoice and a customs export declaration. In order to benefit from the preferential tariff agreement, a certificate of origin is also required. Average costs and times for procedures are as follows: 

Documents preparation: US$150 over 6 days

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Customs clearance and technical control: US$200 over 1 day

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Ports and terminal handling: US$265 over 1 day

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Inland transportation and handling: US$350 over 1 day

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The total average time and costs for these procedures is $965 over 9 days.

OTHER IMPORT REQUIREMENTS Import permits are required generally for agricultural products, plants, animals, their by-products from the Ministry of Agriculture in Panama. Any company holding a commercial licence can freely import goods into Panama. Individuals or companies wishing to engage in commercial or industrial activities require a commercial or industrial licence. Phytosanitary permits are required to import some agricultural products.

All processed food products for retail, bottled or packaged in some form with a given name and brand, must be registered at the Panamanian Food Safety Authority (AUPSA). Excluded from this requirement are raw materials such as fresh meats (which are not packed and ready for sale), fresh vegetables and fruits, grains in bulk loads or in bags, dairy products in bulk loads or bags for further processing, ingredients and additives for the processing of a final food product.

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For the food product registration, the importer or exporter must submit the following information: 

Product name;

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Name and address of the product manufacturer, packager or distributor, as specified on the label;

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Product description as stated on the label;

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Product ingredients (in descending order by weight) as stated on the label;

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A certificate of free sale or a supplier or manufacturer’s declaration may be applicable.

This information may be submitted via the Internet through AUPSA’s website: www.aupsa.gob.pa. To corroborate the information submitted, it is necessary to send the clearly scanned label. The original of these documents should be presented at the AUPSA’s Registry office, within a period of 30 working days. The food product registration will remain in effect as long as the information provided remains unchanged. A copy of the import notification form, submitted via the AUPSA’s website must be presented at the port of entry in Panama at least 48 hours prior to the arrival of the product.

When importing non-food animal and plant products, it is necessary to check with the Agricultural Quarantine Directorate of the Ministry of Agricultural Development for their list of requirements for specific products. These requirements are open to change based on any phytosanitary concerns that may arise. Applicants must fill out a form requesting a phytosanitary licence. Procedures must be conducted in person and in the Spanish language. Information may be accessed at www.mida.gob.pa.

Additionally, any product that may affect human health, save those exceptions recognised by law, must possess a health registration issued by the Panamanian Ministry of Health or Department of Food Safety. This affects products such as foods, beverages, medicines, cosmetics, cleaning products, disinfectants and similar products.

To acquire health registration for food products, the following are required: 

A Power of Attorney document from the proprietor of the product, duly notarised and legalised by the Seal of the Apostille or by the Panamanian Consulate. It must mention the name of the product to be registered before the Food Protection Department;

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Good Manufacturing Practice Certificate of the manufacturing laboratory, issued in Trinidad and Tobago, and duly legalised as above (valid for two years); 16

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Certificate of free sale of the product duly legalised and containing the name of the product (valid for six months);

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Quail-quantitative formula (original) of the product, signed by the responsible person of the manufacturing laboratory;

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Six samples of the product from the same batch number as it will be commercialised in Panama, in each of its variations, inclusive of name of manufacturing laboratory, country of origin, batch number, expiration date (smallest sample size accepted is 200g; additional samples may be requested by the Specialised Institute of Analysis);

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Four labels of the product;

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Documentation specifying the type and material of the ingredients used;

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Information as to the interpretation of the batch number; documentation certifying the shelf life of the product;

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Method of analysis of the product;

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Name of the distributor of the product in Panama.

The timeframe for this procedure is about one month and the estimated expenses incurred are worth approximately US$418.

For health registration for cosmetic products, the following is required: 

Power of Attorney document with name of product and all its variations;

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Certificate of good practice of the manufacturing laboratory (valid two years);

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Certificate of pharmaceutical product including name of product (valid two years);

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Quail-quantitative formula in the case of medicated products (further details will be required for products containing restricted substances or aerosols);

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Two samples of the product (similar to food products);

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Two original labels;

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Finished product specifications, that is, microbiological and physicochemical specifications;

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Studies of the product if it contains substances of biological origin, vitamins or substances of easy decomposition to support its shelf life;

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Documentation to support the qualities of the product, such as hypoallergenic, non-irritant, water resistant and so forth;

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

Name of distributor in Panama.

The timeframe for registering such products is about two months and health registration certificates for cosmetics are valid for 10 years. The approximate expenses incurred during this process are worth US$553.

To obtain a health registration certificate for pharmaceutical products, the following must be submitted: 

Power of attorney document with the name of the product;

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Certificate of good practice from Trinidad and Tobago (valid for two years);

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Certificate of pharmaceutical product on letterhead of manufacturing laboratory with name of product (valid for two years);

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Quali-quantitative formula of the product;

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Four samples of the product as it will be commercialised, in each of its variations, including name of manufacturing laboratory, country of origin, batch number, expiration date, pharmaceutical form, way of administration, storage conditions (must include the phrase, “Keep out of the reach of children” and “Sold under prescription, both in Spanish);

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Certificate of analysis of the above sample;

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Four original labels with the phrases as above included in Spanish;

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Finished product specifications;

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Method of analysis of the product;

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Stability studies of the final product from three different batches, indicating scientific validity period;

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Literature of the product;

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Information as to the type of recipients;

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Information as to the interpretation of the batch number; working standard of the product, with name of active ingredient, purity percentage, expiration date, batch number and storage conditions with correspondent certificate of analysis;

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Name of product distributor in Panama.

These procedures normally take about six months and the health registration certificates for medical products have a validity of five years. The average cost of expenses for this process is US$2,578.

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A customs broker licensed by the Government of Panama must clear merchandise imported into Panama through customs. The following goods are imported under duty-free status: consigned to national or municipal governments, imported by foreign diplomats, consigned to the Panama Canal, sold to vessels transiting the Canal or intended for re-export.

Basic import documentation required by the Panamanian Customs office includes: import declaration (prepared and signed by a Customs Broker); commercial invoice (to be presented in English or Spanish in quadruplicate); airway bill; bill of lading (to be presented in triplicate); commercial licence number; phytosanitary certificate and certificate of free sale (if required). Any food product or other item used for human consumption (including for use on human skin or clothes) may be subject to the certificate of free sale requirement. Its main purpose is to prevent dumping of inferior goods, especially for human consumption on the Panamanian market.

If for any reason the bill of lading or any other required document cannot be presented within 24 hours after the shipment has arrived, clearance of the goods will be permitted by posting a bond equal to the amount of import duties. The bond is cancelled if the prescribed documents are presented in due form within 90 days. The bond may be extended, in justified cases, for an additional 90 days. (Sources: USDA GAIN Report, www.benedetti.com, www.gistnet.com)

TRANSLATION SERVICES Commercial documents provided by the exporters or their representatives are often required in Spanish or, at the very least, must be accompanied by an official Spanish translation. One of the official translation and interpreting agencies for the Government is COSTAAT (College of Science, Technology & Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago).

When translating documents from English to Spanish, the cost for general correspondence is TT$150 + VAT per page while the cost of technical correspondence (e.g. invoices, commercial documents, reports, product descriptions, etc.) is normally TT$175 + VAT per page. One page is generally considered to contain a maximum of 200 words. Should exporters wish to obtain soft copies of documents, an additional 10% fee on the total cost will apply. (Source: Translation & Interpreting Services, COSTAATT)

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SHIPPING INFORMATION Direct shipping routes are available from Trinidad and Tobago using the following routes: 

Port of Spain to Panama City, Panama – 4 days

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Port of Spain to Manzanillo, Panama – 6 days

(Sources: Linescape.com; JOCSailings.com)

It should be noted that schedules are subject to change and the cost of shipping often fluctuates alongside the price of oil.

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