This finding appears in the *Illicit Trade Index* report, presented in a forum organized by the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP), which assessed the performance of Central American countries in tackling this scourge.

  According to the study, Panama ranks second in the region with 49.6 points—surpassed only by Costa Rica (51.2)—and holds the 81st position among 158 economies analyzed globally.

  However, TRACIT warned that the ZLC—considered the largest free trade zone in the Americas and the second-largest in the world by size—retains vulnerabilities exploited by criminal networks for concealing, repackaging, and re-exporting illicit products, including medicines, tobacco, and counterfeit goods.

  The organization’s Director General, Jeffrey Hardy, noted that despite possessing relatively robust customs and regulatory capabilities, Panama faces gaps in supply chain monitoring that limit the effectiveness of actions against illegal trade.

  During the meeting, CCIAP President Aurelio Barria warned that these activities undermine the competitiveness of formal businesses, reduce tax revenue, and discourage foreign investment.

  Meanwhile, the Director of the National Customs Authority, Soraya Valdivieso, highlighted the strengthening of controls and inter-agency coordination to improve the traceability of products destined for export and re-export from the ZLC.

  Minister of Commerce and Industries Julio Molto stated that authorities had seized illicit goods valued at over $42 million—primarily contraband cigarettes—over the past two years, and highlighted the addition of a scanner donated by the United States to strengthen surveillance in the free trade zone.

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