Canada-Panama Free Trade Agreement to Come into Force April 1

Minister Ablonczy with Fernando Núñez Fábrega, Panama’s Minister of Foreign Affairs

March 17, 2013 - Panama City, Panama - The Honourable Diane Ablonczy, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas and Consular Affairs), is joined by representatives from several Canadian companies and Fernando Núñez Fábrega, Panama’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, to announce that the Canada-Panama Free Trade Agreement will enter into force on April 1, 2013.

Panama is an important market for Canada and a strategic hub of commercial activity in Central America, the Caribbean and the Andean region of South America. It is Canada’s third-largest merchandise export market in Central America, with bilateral merchandise trade reaching $213.6 million in 2012. Canadian companies have demonstrated a heightened interest in Panama as an investment destination and are involved in that country’s banking, mining, environment, forestry, infrastructure, building products and food exports sectors.

Minister Ablonczy, on behalf of the Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, led a six-day, three-country infrastructure trade mission to Peru, Colombia and Panama in November.

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Joshua Zanin
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas and Consular Affairs)
613-944-2300

Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-995-1874
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