What does Panama require before the cargo can be imported?
Panama is served from China by ocean, air and express, and the arrival-side requirements below are the part that most often changes a landed cost or holds a shipment at the port. Each position is the one we publish for this market and is confirmed per shipment against the actual commodity code and destination city.
What duty, tax and levies apply on arrival?
| Duty and tax | Import duty typically 0–15% by category plus 7% ITBMS; the published de minimis is USD 100 CIF |
Who is allowed to import into this market?
| Importer of record | A consignee holding a Panamanian RUC, with the declaration drafted and filed by a licensed customs broker |
| Import requirements | Local tax registration and an import licence for restricted goods in several countries |
How long does shipping from China to Panama take?
Typical door-to-door transit on this lane, by mode. These are working ranges rather than carrier-published schedules, so the exact window is confirmed on booking.
| Mode | Typical transit | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean freight FCL | 24–34 days | Direct transpacific call at Balboa; the ocean leg is 22–32 days |
| Ocean freight LCL | 28–38 days | Consolidated from Shenzhen; adds roughly 3–5 days to FCL |
| Air freight | 3–7 days | Airport to airport into PTY (Tocumen) |
| Express courier | 3–7 days | Door to door; carrier-published days confirmed at booking |
Which gateway does cargo arrive through in Central America & Caribbean?
The gateway is the same for every country in Central America & Caribbean; what changes between countries is the duty, importer and certification position above.
| Destination ports | Balboa and PSA Rodman on the Pacific; Manzanillo International Terminal, Colón Container Terminal and Cristóbal on the Atlantic |
| Gateway ports | Colon / Cristobal and Balboa (Panama), Kingston, Santo Domingo, Puerto Limon, Puerto Quetzal, Port of Spain |
| Gateway airports | PTY, SDQ, SJO, GUA |
How do you turn this into a landed cost?
Duty is assessed per commodity code, so the positions above tell you what to prepare rather than what you will pay. Screen the official duty range for the HS chapter your product falls in with the HS chapter duty lookup, then put the rate for your actual code through the landed cost calculator to see duty, import tax and levies on the CIF value. Transit times, loading ports and the operating detail for this lane are on the China to Panama route page.
Positions reviewed 2026-09-15 by Helen Peng. Duty, importer-of-record and certification answers are confirmed per shipment: a change of commodity code, origin documentation or destination city can change the position.
