U.S. onion shipments to Panama suspended

Panama has temporarily stopped accepting onion shipments from the United States after import volumes for 2026 reached the country’s tariff-rate quota, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

As of 2 January 2026, U.S. onion exports had already met Panama’s annual quota of 1,077 metric tonnes. Following this threshold, Panamanian authorities suspended further imports, citing an oversupply of locally produced onions.

The sudden halt affected eleven containers of U.S. onions, which were left waiting at port. To avoid product losses, exporters ultimately redirected the shipments to alternative markets.

U.S. officials advise exporters to hold off on sending additional onion shipments to Panama until domestic inventories decline and the government revises its import policy.

Import controls on onions and potatoes have been in place in Panama since August 2020, when the government began applying volume restrictions influenced by decisions from local producer associations.

source: fas.usda.gov

photo: panamaadvisoryinternationalgroup.com