Economic and trade cooperation

According to statistics from General Administration of Customs, the trade volume between China and Panama reached $6.69 billion in 2017, a 2.8 percent increase over the previous year.

China is the second-largest client of the Panama Canal after the United States. In June 2016, Chinese container ship, the Cosco Shipping Panama, became the first vessel to make the inaugural passage through the newly expanded Panama Canal.

A new flight between Beijing and Panama City, via Houston, was launched by Air China in March 2018. The new route was announced during Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela's state visit to China on Nov 16-22 last year, and is to operate twice a week.