WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao is strengthening its economic relationship with Panama as Panamanian Minister of Commerce and Industry Julio Moltó leads a major trade delegation to the island, accompanied by more than 70 businesspeople and representatives of Panamanian institutions.
The visit is a direct follow-up to Economic Development Minister Roderick Middelhof’s working visit to Panama in April and is intended to turn renewed government-level contacts into concrete opportunities in trade, logistics, investment and regional supply.
Moltó and Middelhof
During their stay, the Panamanian delegation will meet Curaçao government officials and members of the local business community. Discussions will cover bilateral trade, regional logistics and distribution, food security, services, investment, free-trade zones and maritime and air connectivity.
According to the Ministry of Economic Development (MEO), the mission forms part of Curaçao’s strategy to strengthen economic ties with growing markets closer to home and reduce its dependence on more distant supply chains.
Middelhof’s April visit to Panama marked the first formal ministerial-level economic contact between Curaçao and Panama in more than 14 years. During talks with Panama’s vice minister responsible for foreign trade, Middelhof proposed establishing a structured economic dialogue between the two countries.
Curaçao sees Panama as particularly important because of the Panama Canal, the Colón Free Zone and the country’s extensive logistics infrastructure. These could provide Curaçao businesses with greater access to products and suppliers from Latin America.
At the same time, the Curaçao government believes the island could serve as a complementary trade and logistics platform for distributing goods from Latin America to smaller Caribbean markets.
The approach also fits within Curaçao’s National Export Strategy, which seeks to expand the island’s role in regional trade and create new opportunities for local businesses.
A central part of the visit is the first Panama–Curaçao Dialogue on Trade, Logistics and Investment on August 20. Government representatives and business leaders from both countries will discuss specific areas where cooperation can be expanded.
Following the dialogue, Moltó and Middelhof are expected to hold bilateral ministerial consultations and sign a Letter of Intent. The document will formally launch the Panama–Curaçao Dialogue and is intended to pave the way for further roundtable discussions, a future memorandum of understanding and a bilateral action plan.
Middelhof said the arrival of the large Panamanian delegation demonstrates that the initiative launched in April is already producing results.
“In April we went to Panama with a clear message: Curaçao wants to use its economic relationships in the region in a more active and strategic manner,” Middelhof said.
He said Panama could give Curaçao greater access to competitively priced, high-quality products and new suppliers, while Curaçao’s strategic position could create opportunities for trade and distribution into other Caribbean markets.
The trade mission began August 19 with business meetings and an official opening. The August 20 program includes the bilateral economic dialogue, ministerial consultations, the signing of the Letter of Intent and a joint press statement.