Foreign direct investment (FDI) reached $5,548.50 million in 2018, exceeding the previous registry on a 21.4% increase and composed mostly by the reinvestment of the utilities generated in the country’s companies.
There’s also a registry of an increase in the purchase of shares in Panamanian companies, which had a negative balance last year, to an active of $77.7 million in 2018.
Export of goods has reached $672.3 million in 2018, 1.9% more than last year, while imports came to a total of $12,113 million, which represents 4% more than last year. Services, on their end, registered a positive balance of $10,025.5 million, 7.4% more.
The General Comptroller’s Office of the Republic has pointed out that the increase of the FDI is explained because of the new projects in communications, commerce and mines, and the confidence the country generates in its investors.