At least 77 containers of pine trees are scheduled to be imported into Panama for the Christmas season with the first expected to arrive in the country in mid-November, depending on the availability of containers, quotas in shipping companies and required logistics.

In 2021, the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA) authorized three companies to import Christmas trees from Canada These are the subsidiaries Kirk Company, Quebec Balsam Export Inc., and Naugler's Traditional evergreen tree farms.

The companies already have a track record exporting Christmas trees to Panama, however, they must comply with a phytosanitary import requirement issued by the National Directorate of Plant Health.

The requirement includes a series of measures to mitigate the risk of introduction of pests to Panamanian territory, such as adequate reception of the trees, classification, mechanical agitation of each tree to remove insects, pests, other living organisms, and weed remains from the tree canopy; packaging, storage, careful filling and sealing of refrigerated containers.

The measures taken by MIDA on covid-19, issued by the Ministry of Health in Panama, based on the measures suggested by the World Health Organization are in force.

Ricardo Gago, from the Casa del Jamón de Costa del Este and one of the owners of Importadora Hermanos Gago, SA said that this year he will be starting the sale of Christmas trees about four days before Thanksgiving which is celebrated this year on November 25. Gago explained that they are scheduled to bring 25 containers from Canada and the United States.