Latin Business Chronicle
September 15, 2008

analysis of new data from The World Bank, Panama replaces El Salvador as the least-expensive country in Latin America to export from while Venezuela is the worst.

Excerpt: Panama remains Latin America's leader when it comes to the overall environment for exporting and importing containerized goods, while Venezuela is the worst country, according to our analysis of the bank's Doing business survey for 2009. >Exporting a container typically costs $729 in Panama, the lowest price anywhere in Latin America. Other countries with the lowest prices include Chile ($745),  ($875), El Salvador ($880) and Paraguay($915).

"On the opposite end is Venezuela where it now costs a whopping $2,590 to export a typical container.; It's also 53.3 percent more expensive than in neighboring Colombia which has the second-highest price in Latin America per container ($1,690). Other expensive countries include Argentina ($1,480), Mexico ($1,472) and Bolivia ($1,425).

Cruising the Panama Canal is a once-in-a-lifetime experience reserved for only the most determined travelers. While anyone is allowed to go, 14-night itineraries and pricey one-way airfares have a way of weeding out many potential cruisers. Retirees with a lot of money and time to spare make up the largest part of this cruise audience.

The Panama Canal's cruise season runs from late September through April. The best time to visit Panama is in the winter and spring, especially since the country's rainy season lasts from March through December. For the best weather, cruise after November.

The development of the former Howard Air Force base is continuing as the facility is being readied to handle an increase in charter flights.

Howard is currently a category 7 airport which acts as a complement to commercial aviation. The Boeing 747 that was used by the James Bond movie film crew was there. The facility received 12 charter flights from the U.S. and Canada over the past year.

By 2009, the developers hope that the airport can start receiving charter flights on a regular basis.

This is expected to help resorts located on the country's Pacific Coast, such as Playa Bonita, Playa Blanca and Decameron. The opening of Howard will significantly reduce the amount of time it takes guests to reach those resorts, who must now land at Tocumen International Airport.

The new immigration laws for Panama go into effect in Aug 26 2008, here is the full document translated.

Sections of interest include:

• Tourist Extensons  Page 11
• Reforestation Visa Page 51 
• Real Estate Investor  Page 55
• Jubilado and Pensionado  Page57
• Married to Panamanian Visa  Page 63

Immigration Law August 2008