PRINT

Panama Hosts Regional Conference on Strategic Trade Controls of Dual-Use Items

24.09.2025 Press and information team of the Delegation to PANAMA

Representatives from 12 Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries are convening in Panama City, 23 and 24 September 2025, for a high-level regional conference focused on the strategic trade controls (STC) of dual-use items. This gathering marks a significant step forward in strengthening regional cooperation to prevent the diversion of international trade in goods and technologies to the proliferation of arms and weapons of mass destruction.

Ambassador EU
© EU P2P Programme

The “Latin America and Caribbean Regional Conference on Strategic Trade Controls of Dual-Use Items”  is jointly organised by the European Union Export Control Programme for Dual-Use Goods ( EU P2), the U.S. Department of State’s Export Control and Related Border Security Program (EXBS), the U.S. Department of Energy’s International Non-proliferation Export Control Program (INECP) and the Organization of American States (OAS). The event brought together representatives from Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guyana, Mexico, Panama, Peru, The Bahamas and Uruguay. 

The event brings together over 60 government officials, regulators, and technical experts from across the region to share knowledge, best practices, and national experiences on the development and implementation of effective strategic trade control systems.

The main objective of the conference is to raise awareness about the current international security landscape, advance up-to-date technical expertise, and promote the adoption and enforcement of robust and coherent strategic trade control regulations that do not hamper economic development of the LAC countries.

The EU, through its EU P2P Programme, is committed to supporting Latin American and Caribbean countries in building efficient, transparent, and internationally aligned strategic trade control systems. Cooperation with international partners and full engagement with existing STC regimes is essential to ensuring global security and responsible trade practices.

Izabela Matusz, EU Ambassador to Panama 

Based on input prepared by each national delegation, the conference will include interactive roundtable discussions on the global state of play, as well as tailor-made working sessions designed to explore in depth the technical and operational aspects of establishing and maintaining a functional STC framework for dual-use items.

Key topics will include the evolving threat environment, particularly risks associated with emerging technologies; the advantages of comprehensive dual-use legislation; risk assessment methodologies; licensing procedures; customs enforcement, and inter-agency cooperation. 

The conference will also focus on regional priorities and the importance of strengthening collaboration among LAC countries to address shared challenges more effectively.

The outcomes of the conference are expected to further strengthen national frameworks and deepen regional ties in the joint effort to address strategic trade control challenges.

 

About the Organisers:

EU P2P Global Project: EU P2P is the European Union’s flagship programme for creating dialogue opportunities with volunteering partner countries on the prevention of the proliferation of arms and weapons of mass destruction through the management of international trade and financial transactions.