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Commercial Diplomacy

Commercial Advocacy – Winning Business With the Government of Panama

Having difficulties bidding on an international tender in Panama?  How can you ensure a fair bidding process on a Panamanian contract?

We can help you overcome trade barriers, bureaucratic problems, or unfair trade practices to ensure that your company has the best possible chance to sell its U.S. products and services in Panama. 

Leverage the resources and influence of the U.S. Government to level the playing field. The U.S. Government’s Advocacy Center helps U.S. companies win government contracts across the globe. World-class advocacy through accredited diplomats and other U.S. officials can give you the edge on your foreign competition and help you when unanticipated problems arise. Support can range from meetings by U.S. Commercial Service Officers and U.S. Ambassadors with high level Panamanian government officials, to letters and calls from high-level U.S. authorities.

Put the resources and authority of the U.S. Government behind your team in pursuit of international contracts or other U.S. export opportunities in Panama. Contact us…

Trade and Investment Problems in Panama

While trade barriers and unfair practices take many forms, the most common examples are listed below:

  • Intellectual property infringement - including copyright, patent and trademarks.
  • Customs procedures that are not uniformly applied
  • Lack of competitive bidding for foreign government tenders.
  • Competition from unfairly traded (i.e., dumped or foreign government subsidized) imports.
  • Unfair and trade distortive subsidies provided by foreign governments to overseas competitors.
  • Foreign trade remedy investigations conducted inconsistent with international obligations.
  • Burdensome certification and testing requirements that are not required by domestic manufacturers.
  • Influence peddling - A corporate entity or country is interfering with fair trade practices at your expense.
  • Bribery, corruption and requests for payoffs - When foreign bribery prevents you from competing fairly on the basis of price, quality or service.
  • Inconsistent or nontransparent treatment of your U.S. investment in Panama.

For more information on what the U.S. Government can do to help you address these problems, please review our trade problems page and contact us at the U.S. Embassy in Panama.

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