After  the charge d'affaires of the United States Embassy in Panama, Stewart Tuttle said "they are not" interested in renegotiating the Trade Promotion Agreement (TPC) with Panama,  signed nearly 10 years ago Commerce and Industry (MIDA) Minister, Augusto Valderrama said that on Monday, March 14, that a note was sent to the United States requesting the opening of dialogue to renegotiate the agreement, but "it has not yet been answered."

  “If the States does not accept, we would have to look for some alternatives” including a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the People's Republic of China He said that at this time the Asian country accepts Panama's exports to it without a treaty. But he did not rule out an FTA.

"In Panama, we have to keep looking; we have some (countries) that also want a trade agreement with us. The Chinese are behind us, and we are already exporting beef to China and there are also possibilities of exporting pork and poultry, etc.", Valderrama said. He specified that they have a product purchasing relationship with the Asian country, for which they are currently exporting beef, coffee, and fish products to that market, to name a few.