{"id":13148,"date":"2026-05-08T09:13:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T14:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/?p=13148"},"modified":"2026-05-07T20:15:02","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T01:15:02","slug":"panama-president-mulino-vows-non-negotiable-canal-neutrality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/business-economy\/panama-president-mulino-vows-non-negotiable-canal-neutrality\/","title":{"rendered":"Panama President Mulino Vows Non Negotiable Canal Neutrality"},"content":{"rendered":"

Panama City, Panama \u2013 President Jos\u00e9 Ra\u00fal Mulino has delivered a forceful defense of the Panama Canal<\/a>\u2019s neutrality and the nation\u2019s ship registry. He made the remarks on Thursday while inaugurating the Maritime Convention of the Americas 2026.<\/p>\n

The event, organized by the Panamanian Maritime Chamber<\/a>, stands as the premier business gathering for the maritime, logistics, and port sectors in the Western Hemisphere. Mulino used the platform to reaffirm his government\u2019s commitment to a series of major infrastructure and regulatory projects.<\/p>\n

\"ante
by presidencia gob pa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Neutrality and the Flag of Convenience<\/h2>\n

President Mulino was emphatic about Panama\u2019s stance on the global stage. He stated that amid current global volatility and conflicts, the neutrality of the interoceanic waterway is non-negotiable. The president also delivered a robust defense of the nation\u2019s ship registry system, often referred to as a Flag of convenience<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cPanama does not accept arbitrary actions. Behind a vessel flying our flag is our country, which will defend it,\u201d Mulino declared. \u201cThat is the great difference from other competitors. We are not a franchise; we are a country behind its registry.\u201d [Translated from Spanish]<\/p>\n

\u201cPanama does not accept arbitrary actions. Behind a vessel flying our flag is our country, which will defend it.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The president welcomed the easing of tensions related to the detention of Panamanian-flagged ships in Chinese ports. He described China\u2019s call for dialogue as a significant step forward. \u201cWe demand and ensure respect for international conventions,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Port Concessions and Financial Strength<\/h2>\n

Turning to the upcoming concessions for the ports of Balboa and Crist\u00f3bal, Mulino outlined a plan for operational continuity. These terminals are vital for global trade, he noted. \u201cToday they are operating normally, and we guarantee that our country continues to serve world trade efficiently,\u201d he said. \u201cBoth ports will be concessioned separately in a new process that favors investment, transparency, and logistics activity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another future concession involves Isla Margarita. The government expects to launch an international tender for that project before the end of the year. \u201cMy objective is to increase the competitiveness of our port system, provide world-class services, and coordinate initiatives through the Logistics Cabinet,\u201d Mulino explained.<\/p>\n

The president also expressed satisfaction with Panama\u2019s improved international financial risk level. According to JP Morgan Chase & Co.\u2019s Emerging Markets Bond Index<\/a>, Panama now ranks fourth among Latin American nations with the lowest country risk. \u201cThese are the reference factors any investor looks for regarding a country where they intend to invest money,\u201d the president detailed.<\/p>\n

\"ante
by presidencia gob pa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Canal Expansion and Workforce Modernization<\/h2>\n

Beyond port concessions, the government is backing key initiatives from the Panama Canal Authority. These include the multipurpose reservoir project on the Indio River, which secures water for canal operations and for residents of Panama and Col\u00f3n. \u201cThe Canal will soon tender the construction of a gas pipeline to free up space in vessel transit,\u201d Mulino highlighted. \u201cAlong with this, two more projects are in the Canal Authority\u2019s portfolio: the ports of Corozal and Telfers. These two new terminals will add 7 million TEU to the current capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n

The president emphasized his government\u2019s commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of the supply chain. He pointed to the Canal\u2019s Net Zero Slot initiative, which incentivizes low or zero-emission vessels with expedited transit in under 24 hours. On the modernization of the Merchant Marine, Mulino announced a new law will be presented to the National Assembly in July. The goal is to streamline bureaucracy and improve decision-making. \u201cWe need more logistics engineers, maritime cybersecurity experts, hybrid engine maintenance technicians, and data management specialists,\u201d he stated. \u201cWe will do this alongside the country\u2019s training, education, and research institutions.\u201d<\/p>\n

International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dom\u00ednguez acknowledged the significance of Mulino\u2019s presence. He said it demonstrates Panama\u2019s commitment to advancing its maritime and logistics sector. Ren\u00e9 G\u00f3mez, president of the Panamanian Maritime Chamber, noted that Panama connects over 140 maritime routes and links 160 countries. The sector accounts for nearly 25% of the national GDP. \u201cThis convention is a showcase to display that strength to the world,\u201d G\u00f3mez said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Panama City, Panama \u2013 President Jos\u00e9 Ra\u00fal Mulino has delivered a forceful defense of the Panama Canal\u2019s neutrality and the nation\u2019s ship registry. He made the remarks on Thursday while inaugurating the Maritime Convention of the Americas 2026. The event, organized by the Panamanian Maritime Chamber, stands as the premier business gathering for the maritime,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13146,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[4175,59,4176,2953],"class_list":{"0":"post-13148","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business-economy","8":"tag-maritime-convention","9":"tag-panama-canal","10":"tag-panama-canal-neutrality","11":"tag-panama-president-mulino-vows"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13148","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13148"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13148\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13149,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13148\/revisions\/13149"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13146"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13148"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}