President Mulino has signed a memorandum of understanding with two Japanese firms as part of Japanese companies interest to establish a logistics park Puerto Armuelles in Chiriqu\u00ed. The Maritime Authority of Panama and these firms plan to create a multipurpose supply chain center in Puerto Armuelles, with the goal of boosting local jobs and reactivating the local economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The project includes reconstruction of the Puerto Armuelles pier, expected to be completed around mid-2026. After that, the second phase will focus on port operations and logistics. The logistics hub will serve farm producers, helping reduce transport distance and costs, improving efficiency for commodity exports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The multipurpose logistics facility will cover handling, storage, processing, and distribution of agricultural products. Services such as re-packaging, consolidation, and other logistics services related to port operations will be part of it. This approach supports agricultural export optimization by offering value addition close to where the products are produced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reducing the need to transport goods 500 kilometers to ports in Panama City, producers will instead travel approximately 75 kilometers to Puerto Armuelles. This change will lower costs and time for goods like bananas, coffee, cacao, palm oil and fruits from western Panama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regional economic reactivation is expected in Chiriqu\u00ed as employment opportunities increase in both construction and long-term operations of the logistics park. The project will especially benefit small and medium agricultural producers who currently face high logistics costs. Local infrastructure, such as the pier, will be modernized, and operations will allow more cargo to flow out of the western region of Panama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The logistics hub will also add value to export chains, enhancing competitiveness of Panamanian agriculture in international markets. By bringing logistics services closer to producers, the efficiency of supply chains will improve, contributing to broader regional economic reactivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n