Panama is opening  an office in the Dutch city of Rotterdam, one of the most important ports in Europe, to boost exports of agricultural and fisheries products in Europe. It will be followed by an office in Shanghai.

"The launch of the agro-commercial office in Rotterdam is a milestone that will mark a before and after in our exports," said Minister of Trade and Industry, Augusto Arosemena.

He said  that it is the first office of its kind outside of Panama and that it will help Panamanian exporters to place their products in Europe, one of the main trading partners of the Central American country.

Commercial relations between Panama and the EU are governed by the EU-Central America Association Agreement, signed in 2012, which establishes a free trade zone  between both regions

Arosemena said that the government intends to expand these agro-commercial offices in other parts of the world and plans to open another one in Shanghai (China) at the beginning of 2019.

Both countries are negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) after having established diplomatic relations in June 2017.

Panamanian exports reached $309.2 million dollars during the first five months of 2018, an increase of 11.7 percent over the same period of the previous year

Panama  exported in 2017 products valued at more than $700 million, among which are bananas, fish, sugar, pineapple, coffee and rum.