New APEX Board of Directors Takes Office and Sets Course to Continue Boosting Exports

The new board of directors of the Panamanian Exporters Association (APEX) for the 2025-2026 term took office today, Wednesday, January 29, in a commemorative ceremony at a hotel in the capital city.

At the event, re-elected president Bianca Morán reaffirmed her commitment to continue working towards strengthening the export sector, promoting the quality, competitiveness, and diversity of Panamanian products in international markets.

For this term, she stated that the guild has outlined three main goals that will serve as the roadmap to continue boosting our exports:

1. Enable the pending processing plants in the region, ready to export under the highest food standards. "These plants represent a great opportunity to enhance our productive capacity and meet international demands with quality and competitiveness, immediately generating new jobs as they are operational and have installed growth capacity," Morán detailed in her speech.

2. Foster an export-oriented mindset among young people. It is essential to inspire and prepare the new generations to see exports as an opportunity for personal and professional development. "This includes technical training, access to specialized programs, and strengthening their skills in foreign trade, along with the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI), with the goal of nurturing a new generation of exporters and developing our ecosystem, which remains an ongoing task," she explained.

3. 3. Comply with European regulations. for deforestation-free products. "This regulation, which represents a unique opportunity for those of us who already export to Europe, requires the digitalization of processes and ensuring the traceability of product origin along with its chain of custody. Although Panama does not need regulatory adjustments to comply with this standard, we must modernize our technological platforms to facilitate its implementation and meet EU requirements," she stated.

However, to create an export-oriented culture in Panama, Morán said, we need to change our mindset and make use of all the studies we already have to direct resources effectively, ensuring that state institutions are managed by qualified individuals with a development-oriented mindset.

"We are still in a slow country, full of costly bureaucracy and the discretion of officials who are not well regarded by either investors or international markets," questioned the re-elected president of the 2025 APEX board of directors.

In this regard, Morán advocated for modernizing outdated legislation in this globalized world and revitalizing trade promotion, which, due to a lack of resources, has been left behind compared to other countries in the region.

On the other hand, Morán also highlighted the potential of value-added exports from other countries that Panama can also capitalize on. She mentioned that, for example, the Netherlands has developed food value-added industries through its ports, becoming the second-largest exporter globally after the United States.

And in the Americas, Uruguay has maintained growth in its exports, re-exports, and by leveraging geographical benefits, investing in infrastructure to develop value-added products certified with raw materials produced by its neighbors.

"Panama may be small in size, but our potential is immense. With clear strategies such as market diversification, identifying specific niches, and developing customized products, we can transform our limitations into opportunities and continue positioning ourselves in international markets to prove that Panama is worth investing in," emphasized Morán, inviting entrepreneurs to join this challenge with commitment and optimism.

"It is our job to continue conveying confidence that betting on Panama is a good business, and the future of our exports is in our hands," Morán concluded.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by entrepreneurs, members of APEX, and board members, as well as high-ranking officials from the National Government, including the Vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Industries, Carlos Hoyos, who highlighted the effort and dedication of the export sector as a key engine of Panama's economic development.