Singapore Joins Panama Canal Neutrality Protocol, Boosting Maritime Freedom and Trade Ties

Singapore will accede to the Protocol to the Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam announced, signalling the city-state’s dedication to maritime safety, security and the principle of freedom of navigation. Speaking at a state banquet for visiting Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino Quintero, Tharman highlighted the importance of small states collaborating to uphold international law amid global trade disruptions.

He noted the shared interest of Singapore and Panama in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the strategic role both nations play as trade crossroads linking Asia and the Americas. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, in a separate statement, said talks are underway to broaden bilateral trade and logistics cooperation, building on the first Latin American free-trade agreement Singapore signed with Panama. The leaders also launched negotiations on a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and signed an MoU between Singapore’s SATS Ltd and Panama’s Tocumen International Airport to strengthen air-cargo connectivity. The moves aim to create new opportunities for Panamanian firms in ASEAN’s growing market.