Florida's Great Northwest plans 2009 Panama trade mission
(panama-guide.com) Panama has quietly emerged as a leading Florida export market, and a Destin-based economic development organization is looking to tap into the state's growing trade opportunities with the Central American country. Florida's Great Northwest has scheduled a January 2009 trade mission to Panama. The mission, scheduled for Jan. 18-22, is open to all Northwest Florida businesses and comes on the heels of a FGNW-hosted July trip to England's Farnborough Air Show. FGNW spokeswoman Cristie Kedroski said the organization had pushed back, at the request of Panamanian officials, the trade mission from November to January. The mission will include individual meetings with Panamanian business and/or government contacts, as well as briefings on the Panama Canal. (more)
Kedroski said FGNW's trade mission would likely include representatives from individual businesses as well as officials from the region's economic development groups, ports, and workforce boards. "We're anticipating a delegation of 20," Kedroski said Friday.
In May, Enterprise Florida senior vice president for international development Manny Mencia said that Florida origin exports (products and services originating in the state) to Panama grew 20 percent in 2007 and were up 38 percent in the first quarter of 2008, compared to the same time period in 2007. At the time, Mencia said the planned Panama Canal expansion, a $5-billion project scheduled for completion in 2013, would offer more future trade opportunities to Florida.
The Central American country is Florida's 13th largest export market and imported $1.2 billion in merchandise from the state in 2007. Bay County Economic Development Alliance Executive Director Ted Clem said the EDA may send a representative on the Panama trade mission. He said Panama has become an important trading partner with the state, and could be an asset to area companies involved with distribution and logistics. "It could potentially mean a lot to shipping services," Clem said.
Port Executive Director Wayne Stubbs said Friday he was interested in accompanying the January trade mission, although he has not officially committed to the trip. Stubbs said that one ship a month departs from Port Panama City and arrives in Cristobal, Panama with paper products. He said there were two departing ships that navigate through the Panama Canal en route to Peru and Chile. "Just in the last month or two, we've developed the capacity to ship containerized cargo to Chile and Peru," Stubbs said.
Miami-based shipping company Seaboard Marine delivers the containerized cargo from Panama City to Chile and Peru.
If he goes on the trade mission, Stubbs said he hoped to meet with Panamanian port officials, as well as tour the Panama Canal and some of the country's ports.
By DANIEL CARSON / News Herald Writer
