On June 10, 2026, the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI) and the General Directorate of Standards and Industrial Technology (DGNTI) of Panama submitted a notification (G/TBT/N/PAN/162) to the WTO Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade, proposing to incorporate the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) Seventh Revision into the country's mandatory technical regulations. The notification has entered a 60-day comment period, during which stakeholders may submit written comments to the Panamanian General Directorate of Standards and Industrial Technology before August 9, 2026. Based on the notification document, CIRS provides the following interpretation.
1. Scope of Application
- Applicable to: Chemicals (pure substances or mixtures) produced, imported, stored, transported, sold, used, and consumed within the territory of Panama.
- Not applicable to:
- Maritime, air, and rail transport of dangerous goods (subject to the UN Orange Book)
- Articles in the final consumer product stage, pharmaceuticals, food additives, cosmetics
- Biological materials, radioactive materials, waste
2. Key Responsible Parties and Obligations
|
Responsible Party |
Core Obligations |
|
Manufacturers/Importers |
Correctly classify hazards; provide Spanish-language labels and SDS; retain technical documentation |
|
Distributors |
Require suppliers to provide products with compliant labels; provide SDS to customers; do not alter label information without authorization |
|
Employers |
Ensure chemicals have labels and SDS; train employees; retain minimum label information when repackaging; gradually replace NFPA labels with GHS labels; provide personal protective equipment |
|
Workers |
Participate in training; report missing labels/SDS; use protective equipment; do not handle hazardous chemicals without training |
3. Compliance Assessment and Inspection
|
Sector |
Competent Authority |
Inspection Focus |
|
Agriculture |
MIDA (Ministry of Agricultural Development) |
Labeling and SDS of agricultural chemicals |
|
Transport |
BCBRP (Firefighters), ATTT (Transit Authority), ANA (Customs) |
Verify consistency between UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (Orange Book) and GHS |
|
Workplaces |
MITRADEL (Ministry of Labor), MINSA (Ministry of Health), Ministry of Environment, Social Security Fund |
Whether hazard classification and personal protective equipment match SDS declarations |
|
Consumer Products |
ACODECO (Consumer Protection Authority), MINSA, MIDA |
Whether labels clearly indicate toxic hazards in Spanish and comply with GHS |
4. Transition Period
- Regulatory authorities: 2-year transition period to refine sector-specific regulatory frameworks
- Manufacturers, importers, employers, and distributors: 3-year transition period to complete GHS updates for all labels and SDS
5. Other Provisions
- The regulation shall be reviewed every 5 years or when significant new information emerges, by the technical committee
- In case of conflict with Central American Technical Regulations (RTCA), the national regulation shall prevail
Recommendations for Enterprises
For enterprises involved in the production, trade, and logistics of chemicals in the Panamanian market, CIRS recommends paying close attention to the following points:
- Assess compliance costs in advance: Redesigning labels, updating safety data sheets, and employee training will incur additional investment
- Map supply chain impacts: Confirm whether upstream suppliers possess GHS compliance capabilities to avoid supply chain disruptions
- Seize the comment window: If there are technical concerns, submit comments through formal channels before August 9
- Monitor the effective timeline: Allow sufficient transition time to achieve full compliance
CIRS Services
- China GHS standard SDS and label preparation
- EU REACH & CLP standard SDS and label preparation, UFI application, and Poison Centre Notification (PCN)
- South Korea GHS standard SDS and label preparation, SDS submission
- Japan GHS standard SDS and label preparation
- US GHS standard SDS and label preparation
- Canada GHS standard SDS and label preparation
- Global GHS services for other countries and regions (Brazil, Argentina, Southeast Asia, Middle East, etc.), covering more than 50 languages
- SDS and labels bearing CNAS accreditation marks
- Global 24-hour emergency response telephone advisory service
