Panama Import Taxes: 7% ITBMS, Duties and Exemptions

Quick Answer: Panama import taxes combine an ad valorem duty on the CIF value (capped at 15% for most lines since Panama joined the WTO in 1997) plus 7% ITBMS charged on CIF plus all customs charges. Cars pay 0% duty but 15-25% ISC. Parcels valued at B/.100 or less pay nothing.

The tax you owe depends on your HS tariff line, the CIF value your freight creates, and whether you qualify for the menaje de casa exemption. This guide walks every layer of impuestos de importación Panamá with the law named beside each rule.

How much do I have to pay in import taxes in Panama?

Quick Answer: Most imports into Panama pay two taxes: an ad valorem duty on the CIF value and 7% ITBMS. Panama capped tariffs at 15% when it joined the WTO in 1997, with an overall average near 12%, and a few agricultural lines sit higher. Some goods add a selective consumption tax.

There is no single national duty rate. The rate comes from your item's tariff line in ANA's Arancel Nacional de Importación. Two products in the same box can carry two different rates.

Per the US Country Commercial Guide for Panama (March 2026), WTO accession in 1997 set a 15% maximum tariff with an overall average of 12%, excepting a few agricultural products. You can read the official framework in the Panama - Import Requirements and Documentation guide.

ITBMS on imports is 7%. Código Fiscal art. 1057-V, parágrafo 6 charges it on the CIF value plus all the customs taxes, fees, duties and charges on the goods. It is not a tax on the invoice alone.

A third layer, the Impuesto Selectivo al Consumo (ISC), hits defined categories such as vehicles. ANA's tariff tool shows the exact combination per HS line.

What is the CIF value and why does it decide your Panama taxes?

Quick Answer: CIF value is the cost of the goods plus international freight plus insurance to the port of entry. Panama's customs system builds every tax on it: duty applies to CIF, and ITBMS applies to CIF plus all customs charges. A cheap item with expensive freight still generates a sizeable tax bill.

CIF means goods value + ocean or air freight + insurance delivered to Balboa, Manzanillo, Cristóbal or Tocumen. That is the base ANA works from.

Because duty sits on CIF, two identical shipments can carry different tax bills. A 20 ft container from Los Angeles costs more in freight than the same box from New Jersey, so its CIF value is higher. A cheaper gateway lowers your tax bill, not only your freight bill.

The math runs in a fixed order:

1. Add goods + freight + insurance = CIF value.
2. Multiply CIF × your HS line duty rate = customs duty.
3. Add CIF + duty + any other customs charges = the ITBMS base.
4. Multiply that base × 7% = ITBMS payable.

For vehicles, Ley 45 de 1995 art. 28-B states that when the CIF value is unknown, customs takes it as FOB plus 15%.

How do Incoterms 2020 change your dutiable value in Panama?

Quick Answer: Incoterms decide who pays freight, but Panama always taxes the CIF value. Buying EXW or FOB means you add freight and insurance yourself to reach the CIF base. DDP shifts clearance and tax liability to the seller, which exposes a US exporter to Panamanian import-side obligations it cannot control.

Choosing EXW or FOB does not cut your tax. The invoice shows a lower number, but customs builds the base back up to CIF. There is no Incoterm that makes freight non-taxable in Panama.

CIF and CFR put the freight inside the invoice value already. That makes the declared base transparent and reduces questions at the counter.

FCA at a US gateway is the common term for LCL consolidations moving to Panama. The buyer books the ocean leg and controls the CIF build-up.

What is the ITBMS rate on imported goods in Panama?

Quick Answer: ITBMS on imports is 7%. The rate has applied since 1 July 2010 and is charged on the CIF value plus all the customs taxes, fees, duties and charges on the imported goods, under Código Fiscal art. 1057-V, parágrafo 6. It is not calculated on the invoice price alone.

ITBMS stands for Impuesto de Transferencia de Bienes Muebles y Servicios. It is Panama's value-added tax, and imports pay it at 7%.

The base matters more than the rate. ITBMS compounds on the duty you already paid, because duty sits inside the base.

Worked example: a 10% duty line

Take a CIF value of US$5,000 on a line that carries 10% duty.

• Duty: $5,000 × 10% = $500
• ITBMS base: $5,000 + $500 = $5,500
• ITBMS: $5,500 × 7% = $385
• Total tax: $885, before broker and port fees

Worked example: a 0% duty line (a car)

Vehicles carry 0% duty but pay ISC first. On a CIF value of US$18,000, the 18% ISC bracket applies.

• Duty: $0
• ISC: $18,000 × 18% = $3,240
• ITBMS: ($18,000 + $3,240) × 7% = $1,487
• Total tax: $4,727

Do I pay taxes on a package sent to my casillero in Panama?

Quick Answer: No, not if the customs value is B/.100.00 or less. Under ANA Resolución No. 049 of 17 February 2025, small shipments of goods that are not prohibited, restricted or subject to non-tariff regulations pay no taxes at or below B/.100. Above that threshold, taxes apply and a broker files.

Resolución 049 de 2025 was published in the Gaceta Oficial on 12 March 2025. It rests on Decreto de Gabinete 12 de 2016 and the Central American customs regulation (RECAUCA). It governs the whole entrega rápida o courier regime.

The value bands are explicit:

• Art. 11 b): customs value of B/.100.00 or less, non-restricted goods — no taxes
• Art. 11 c): above B/.100 and below B/.2,000 — taxes apply, and the courier files through an Agente Corredor de Aduanas; one declaration may cover several recipients' guides
• Art. 19: above B/.2,000 — the general clearance process applies
• Arts. 11 d) and 27: restricted goods or goods under non-tariff regulation leave the simplified track at any value, guide by guide in the recipient's name

Art. 12 sets the labelling rule. Every package shows the sender, the courier, the recipient's name and address, the description and quantity, the gross weight in kilograms and the customs value.

Exempt parcels are released on the courier's Formulario de control de salida until ANA implements a simplified declaration in its system (arts. 17 and 25).

Personal courier imports vs. formal commercial clearance in Panama

Quick Answer: Panama runs two tracks. Courier parcels up to B/.2,000 move under the simplified regime of ANA Resolución 049 de 2025, with the courier's licensed broker filing. Shipments above B/.2,000, and any restricted goods at any value, go through the general import process with a full declaration in SIGA.

A certificate of origin is required when you claim tariff preference, per the Panama - Customs Regulations guidance. Panamanian customs brokers are licensed by ANA under Decreto Ley No. 1 de 2008 — agree the broker fee in writing before the vessel arrives.

Splitting a commercial order across casillero parcels is exactly the pattern ANA's risk profiling targets. Resolución 049 arts. 21-23 give customs the power to retain on suspicion of a wrong value or category.

Who qualifies for the menaje de casa exemption in Panama?

Quick Answer: Panamanians who lived abroad at least two years and return permanently, and foreigners who prove they are coming to live in Panama, may import used household furniture and other household objects free of import taxes up to B/.25,000 of customs value, under Decreto de Gabinete 41 de 2002 art. 216.

A temporary return does not qualify. Art. 216 requires a change to permanent residence. A visit home with a container does not trigger the franquicia.

Returning Panamanian: what ANA and the Consulate ask

ANA's trámite page on Panamá Digital asks for proof of having worked or lived outside the country for more than two years. A student presents the diploma or the credits earned.

Before shipping, the Consulate (Florida goes to Miami, through the Embassy of Panama in the United States) asks for:

• Proof of two years' residence in the USA
• Copy of the US visa or green card
• Proof of Panamanian citizenship
• A list in Spanish of the household items with the approximate value of each

The list is signed before a notary public or at the consular offices. The consular certification costs US$30. The rest of the process runs through a customs agent in Panama.

Foreigner moving to Panama

Foreigners who prove they are coming to live in Panama hold the same B/.25,000 right. ANA's page lists a letter from the employing company, a lawyer's letter certifying residence in Panama, a migration directorate certification and a labour certification from the ministry of labour.

The law sets no minimum age in months for the goods, no "$10,000 every three years" allowance and no "$2,000 for non-residents" allowance. If a mover quotes you those numbers, ask for the article of law. And note the hard edge: the exemption covers used household goods only — vehicles sit outside art. 216.

How much does it cost to import a car into Panama?

Quick Answer: Panama charges 0% import duty on cars: ANA's tariff shows 0% DAI on every line of headings 87.03 and 87.04. A vehicle pays the ISC, 15% to 25% by CIF value, plus 7% ITBMS on CIF plus the ISC. The ISC minimum is B/.500 per imported vehicle.

The ISC replaced the import duty on vehicles. Ley 8 de 2010 art. 143 made the vehicle ISC rates effective from the repeal of the duty. 0% duty does not mean cheap.

The ISC carries a floor. B/.500 minimum per imported vehicle, rising to B/.750, B/.1,000 and B/.1,500 for cars more than 12, 24 and 36 months from manufacture (art. 28-A, parágrafo).

Mixed vehicles of heading 87.03 built mainly to carry goods pay 12% ISC. Motorcycles are the odd one on duty: 15% up to 125 cc, 0% above 125 cc and on electric, plus 7% ITBMS (ANA tariff tool, heading 87.11). The ISC on motorcycles above 125 cc is disputed between Ley 8 de 2010 and ANA's tool — ask ANA or the DGI before you budget.

Worked example: a US$18,000 car

• Import duty: $0
• ISC at the 18% bracket: $18,000 × 18% = $3,240
• ITBMS: ($18,000 + $3,240) × 7% = $1,487
• Total taxes: $4,727

After clearance, imported vehicles are registered with the ATTT transit authority. A valid US driver's license works in Panama for 90 days as a tourist. For the paperwork, work through our Car Import Requirements Panama: Complete Documentation Checklist for US Vehicles, then price the move with the Car Shipping to Panama Calculator: Instant Quotes 2026.

Which exemptions and free zones can cut your Panama import taxes?

Quick Answer: Three routes reduce tax: the B/.25,000 menaje de casa exemption, the Ley 9 de 1987 retiree franquicia arancelaria, and the Colón Free Zone. Cargo that stays in the free zone and is re-exported pays no import duty or ITBMS, but anything moved into national territory must be nationalized.

Ley 9 de 1987 art. 2-1 gives jubilados, pensionados and retired rentistas a one-time total franquicia arancelaria on household or personal articles up to B/.10,000.

Art. 2-2 adds a vehicle benefit. ANA's procedure page and Ley 45 de 1995 art. 28-A numeral 10 let a retiree import one vehicle every two years paying 5% ISC and 7% ITBMS, instead of the 15-25% brackets.

For that vehicle ANA asks for the bill of lading in the importer's name, the original commercial invoice, the title when it comes from abroad, a letter from the paying entity showing the pension amount, a Paz y Salvo Nacional, the exemption request note from migration, and a copy of the pensionado card and passport.

Ley 9 art. 3 adds a lock. Household or personal articles brought in under the franquicia may not be sold, leased, given as security or auctioned without paying the taxes, unless they are sold more than three years after the date of the exemption. That three-year exception covers household and personal articles only. A vehicle brought in under Ley 9 may not be sold, leased, pledged or auctioned without paying the taxes, duties and fees due on it, and the article states no three-year exception for vehicles.

How the B/.10,000 Ley 9 allowance and the B/.25,000 art. 216 exemption combine for one person is not settled between the official sources. Ley 9 says B/.10,000; other official guidance does not apply the same figure or say how the two caps combine. Take that question to a licensed customs broker before you pack.

The Colón Free Zone works like a US bonded warehouse for re-export. Cargo that stays inside and leaves again pays no duty or ITBMS (Gaceta Oficial Digital 29914-A, 21 November 2023). Goods crossing into national territory must be nationalized and pay the applicable import taxes. A free zone defers tax, it does not erase it.

When you claim preference under a trade agreement such as the Panama Trade Promotion Agreement (PATPA), a certificate of origin is required. Verify the preferential rate for your HS line in ANA's tariff tool first, because not every line carries a US row.

What does shipping to Panama cost before taxes?

Quick Answer: Freight and taxes are two separate bills. Your ocean freight depends on volume, container size and which US gateway your region ships through; your tax bill then builds on that CIF value. The calculator on this page prices your exact origin in seconds, and the rate table under the opening answer updates monthly.

In October 2026, consolidated boxes and some furniture of about 13 m³ shipped from Miami from $958 port to port. A 2-bedroom move in a 20 ft container ran from $2,900 from Miami in the same quote month. The self-updating price table under the opening answer carries the current figures.

LCL

MiamiUSMIA

→

ManzanilloPAMIT

from · Oct 2026 USD$958 Quote this route →

FCL 20'

New JerseyUSNYC

→

ManzanilloPAMIT

from · Oct 2026 USD$2,660 Quote this route →

FCL 40'HC

HoustonUSHOU

→

ManzanilloPAMIT

from · Oct 2026 USD$3,200 Quote this route →

Your gateway follows your region. Florida → Miami. Texas and the central states → Houston. California and the Southwest → Los Angeles/Long Beach. The Northeast → New York/New Jersey. The Southeast → Savannah. The Midwest → rail via Chicago. Another US city prices approx. from the nearest listed origin, with the departure port named on the quote.

Panama receives ocean cargo at Balboa on the Pacific and at Colón, MIT Manzanillo and Cristóbal on the Atlantic, with air cargo at Tocumen International Airport (trade.gov). Our prices are port to port: you bring the cargo to the departure port and collect it at Manzanillo or Rodman. Door delivery and destination charges are billed separately and are not ABGS freight.

Duty and ITBMS are paid to ANA through your broker, never to the freight forwarder. Compare total cost with our Moving to Panama Cost Calculator: Instant Quotes (2026).

How do you clear customs in Panama without delays?

Quick Answer: Clearance starts before the vessel sails. Panama's confirmed essential documents are the original commercial invoice sworn by the exporter and the bill of lading or air waybill, with a certificate of origin when you claim tariff preference. The DUA declaration is filed electronically in ANA's SIGA system by a licensed broker.

1. Classify every line in ANA's Arancel Nacional de Importación tool (aranceles.ana.gob.pa) to confirm duty, ITBMS and any ISC before you buy.
2. Collect the sworn original commercial invoice and a clean bill of lading in the importer's name — a name mismatch is the most common hold.
3. Engage an ANA-licensed corredor de aduana (Decreto Ley No. 1 de 2008) and agree the fee in writing. For menaje de casa, the consular-certified Spanish item list goes to the broker too.
4. Confirm permits for restricted goods with ANA or your broker before shipping — restricted goods leave the simplified courier track at any value.
5. Apostille US documents under the Hague Convention where Panamanian authorities ask for them (US Department of State).

Travelling with pets? Animals under four months of age are not allowed into Panama. Rabies vaccine for dogs and cats must be given from three months of age and at least thirty days before the trip (USDA APHIS, July 2025; MINSA).

With thousands of shipments processed across the USA–Latin America corridor, the pattern is consistent: the delays come from documents, not from vessels. Get the invoice, the B/L name and the HS classification right before the box is sealed.

Freight is the part we control, and the part you can price in seconds. Use the calculator on this page to compare LCL, FCL and vehicle rates from your nearest gateway, then hand the CIF figure to your Panamanian broker so they can compute duty, ITBMS and any ISC against your tariff lines. For regulatory, duty or tax questions, consult a licensed corredor de aduana or an international tax attorney — AB Group Shipping is a freight forwarder.