Strategic partnership: Panama Canal and US Grains Council sign deal to enhance global ag trade

The Panama Canal and the US Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen their collaboration by enhancing the global trade in US agricultural products.

This landmark agreement highlights both organizations' commitment to improving the efficiency, reliability, and sustainability of grain shipments along one of the world’s most vital trade routes.

Close collaboration at the Panama Canal

Under the terms of the MOU, the Panama Canal and USGBC will collaborate on joint market efforts, including economic analyses and the sharing of trade and logistical data. Through this cooperation, the parties will support the increasing international demand for US grains and promote the canal's operational excellence.

"The signing of this important document is reflective of the longstanding friendship between Panama and the United States, rooted in more than a century of cooperation, mutual respect, and shared strategic and economic interests,” said the Panama Canal administrator, Ricaurte Vásquez Morales.

The executive celebrated the memorandum of understanding, saying it is evidence of the countries' mutual pledge to promote sustainable trade and safeguard access to US agricultural exports.

“For our industry, one of the most important reasons we are here is the Panama Canal. As reflected in the MOU, it means so much to US agriculture,” said the President of USGBC, Ryan LeGrand. “We simply could not do what we do at the US Grains and Bioproducts Council without it."

The signing ceremony was attended by the Ambassador of the United States to Panama, Kevin Marino Cabrera, who served as an honorary witness. In his welcome remarks, the ambassador highlighted the excellent cooperative relationship between the US and the Panama Canal by underscoring the strategic importance of this interoceanic waterway for bilateral and global trade.

The Panama Canal, a crucial link in the global supply chain, serves as a gateway for several million tons of US agricultural products exported annually. Grain traffic accounted for around 25.1 million metric tons in FY 2025 and is among the main products using the canal, along with containers and energy products.

*All images are referential. 

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