PANAMA

On February 8, the National Customs Authority (ANA in Spanish) set up a working group with the objective of reforming the current regulations governing free zones to adapt them to the new modalities of electronic commerce. It is expected that in the medium term the working group will hold new meetings to continue working on the subject. On the other hand, ANA, together with counterpart authorities of Costa Rica, held a binational meeting to advance the Logistics Integration Program (PILA in Spanish) between both countries. The objective will be to promote its implementation in the medium term. 

Regarding the first point, the entity indicated that they would work to review the role of the ANA in the control and adaptation of the regulations for e-commerce operations in these free trade zones. The Technical Deputy Director of Customs, Rodolfo Samuda, and the specialists in free zones of the Ministry of Commerce and Industries, Ambar Ruiz and Gisela Porras, participated in the installation meeting. On the other hand, they also discussed issues related to the operation of warehouses in free zones. 

Regarding the work with Costa Rica, ANA explained that this project aims to modernize the processes, technology, infrastructure and control in the most important border crossings between the countries. Among the highlights, the participating officials discussed customs control processes and agreed to promote the creation of a Bilateral Coordination Committee which will be in charge of the customs authorities of both countries to facilitate border inspections.