The Panama Canal and the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) designed to strengthen their collaboration through the enhancement of global trade with U.S. agricultural products. This landmark agreement highlights the commitment between both organizations to improve the efficiency, reliability, and sustainability of grain shipments through one of the world’s most vital trade routes.

Under the terms of the MOU, the Panama Canal and USGBC will collaborate on joint market efforts like economic analysis, as well as sharing trade and logistical data. Through this type of cooperation, the partnership will support an increasing international demand for U.S. grains while simultaneously promoting the operational excellence of the Panama Canal.

By strengthening ties with the USGBC, the Panama Canal reaffirms its pivotal role as a true partner in global commerce. "The signing of this important document is reflective of the longstanding friendship between Panama and the United States of America rooted in more than a century of cooperation, mutual respect, and shared strategic and economic interests,” said the Panama Canal administrator, Dr. Ricaurte Vásquez Morales.

“We are proud to be a strategic ally of the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council as we work together to enhance the flow of trade through the Panama Canal. The memorandum of understanding is exemplary of our mutual pledge to promote sustainable trade and safeguard access to U.S. agricultural exports," Vásquez said.

“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 U.S. agriculture. Throughout history, it has been known by many names — the Big Ditch, the Gold Coast of Trade, the Highway of the Americas — each underscoring its importance to global commerce and its deep historical and cultural significance,” said the President of USGBC Ryan LeGrand.

“We simply could not do what we do at the U.S. Grains and Bioproducts Council without it. For us the Canal is crucial, essential, and of paramount importance,” he added.

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 U.S. 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 U.S. agricultural 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.

As part of their meeting in Panama a group of USGBC representatives are observing operations up close during a partial transit through the locks.