million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
bananas 43%, shrimp 11%, sugar 4%, clothing 5%, coffee 2%
partners:
US 38%, Central America and Caribbean, EC (1992 est.)
Imports:
$2.0 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
capital goods 21%, crude oil 11%, foodstuffs 9%, consumer goods, chemicals
partners:
US 36%, Japan, EC, Central America and Caribbean, Mexico, Venezuela (1992
est.)
External debt:
$5.2 billion (year-end 1992 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 7.6% (1992 est.); accounts for about 9% of GDP
Electricity:
1,584,000 kW capacity; 4,360 billion kWh produced, 1,720 kWh per capita
(1992)
Industries:
manufacturing and construction activities, petroleum refining, brewing,
cement and other construction material, sugar milling
Agriculture:
accounts for 10.5% of GDP (1992 est.), 27% of labor force (1992); crops -
bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane; livestock; fishing; importer of food
grain, vegetables
Illicit drugs:
major cocaine transshipment point and drug money laundering center
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $516 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $582 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $4 million
Currency:
1 balboa (B) = 100 centesimos
Exchange rates:
balboas (B) per US$1 - 1.000 (fixed rate)

*Panama, Economy

Fiscal year:
calendar year

*Panama, Communications

Railroads:
238 km total; 78 km 1.524-meter gauge, 160 km 0.914-meter gauge
Highways:
8,530 km total; 2,745 km paved, 3,270 km gravel or crushed stone, 2,515 km
improved and unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
800 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama Canal
Pipelines:
crude oil 130 km
Ports:
Cristobal, Balboa, Bahia Las Minas
Merchant marine:
3,244 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 51,353,963 GRT/82,138,537 DWT;
includes 22 passenger, 26 short-sea passenger, 3 passenger-cargo, 1,091
cargo, 246 refrigerated cargo, 196 container, 63 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 121
vehicle carrier, 9 livestock carrier, 5 multifunction large-load carrier,
403 oil tanker, 180 chemical tanker, 26 combination ore/oil, 121 liquefied
gas, 9 specialized tanker, 688 bulk, 34 combination bulk, 1 barge carrier;
note - all but 5 are foreign owned and operated; the top 4 foreign owners
are Japan 36%, Greece 8%, Hong Kong 8%, and Taiwan 5%; (China owns at least
131 ships, Vietnam 3, Croati