Caribbean & Central America - February 2012 (ISSN 1741-4458)

Exports: According to a recent report by the comptroller general’s office, Panama’s exports reached US$726.7m in the first eleven months of 2011, a 7% increase on the same period of 2010. Its biggest export is gold, which accounts for US$108m of the total, up 60% on the same period the previous year, followed by: bananas (US$78.9m); yellow-fin tuna (US$42.6m); sugar (US$37.1m); shrimp (US$34.6m); and pineapples (US$29m).

Inflation: Panama's consumer prices rose 0.2% in December versus a month earlier, bringing the 12-month inflation rate to 6.3%, according to the national statistics agency (Inec). The year closed with 5.9% inflation, up from the 3.5% in 2010.