Vietnam, Panama Sign MoU to Boost Trade and Investment Cooperation
Hanoi, The Gulf Observer: The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), in coordination with the Embassy of Panama in Vietnam, hosted the Vietnam–Panama Business Forum in Hanoi on October 7, bringing together business leaders from both countries to explore opportunities for expanding bilateral economic ties.
The forum was held as part of Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino’s official visit to Vietnam. President Mulino and a high-level Panamanian delegation attended the event alongside more than 100 representatives of Vietnamese business associations, corporations and companies.
The forum highlighted growing friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Panama after more than five decades of diplomatic relations, with economic, trade and investment ties also showing positive momentum.
Two-way trade between the two countries reached approximately US$478 million in 2025, representing a 19.2 percent increase from the previous year.
As of May 31, 2026, Panama had 14 valid investment projects in Vietnam with total registered capital of around $52.4 million, primarily in the processing and manufacturing, transport and warehousing sectors.
Vietnamese businesses and restaurants are also operating in Panama, providing a foundation for further expansion of commercial, investment and business links between the two countries.
During the forum, VCCI and the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama signed and exchanged a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the presence of President Mulino.
The agreement aims to strengthen institutional cooperation, enhance trade and investment promotion activities, and facilitate bilateral investment and trade.
Under the MoU, the two sides will facilitate visits by businesspeople and business delegations while promoting exchanges in trade, investment, innovation and business development. They will also share information on economic trends, trade opportunities and investment environments in their respective countries.
The agreement further calls for cooperation in organising conferences, seminars, trade missions, exhibitions and training programmes, as well as encouraging closer links between business organisations and communities in Vietnam and Panama.
Participants at the forum discussed prospects and directions for expanding bilateral economic cooperation, with particular attention to the strategic role of the Panama Canal in global trade connectivity and opportunities for cooperation in agribusiness and agricultural exports.
VCCI Vice President Nguyễn Quang Vinh said the chamber would continue to serve as a bridge connecting Vietnamese businesses with Panamanian agencies, organisations and business partners.
He said VCCI would work closely with its Panamanian counterpart to promote trade and investment, organise business delegations and develop sector-specific business matching programmes.
Such initiatives, he added, would help Vietnamese companies make greater use of business opportunities in Panama and Latin America, while enabling Panamanian enterprises to gain a deeper understanding of Vietnam and the wider Southeast Asian market.
