|
More data
In Panama, I understand one can import a car duty free every 2 years if they are of Pensionado (sp?) status.
__________________________________________________ ___________
True, but not advisable for reasons Soltero points out.
In general, pensionados are being advised by their lawyers not to import cars. This is a change from 2 years ago.
In addition,
1-roads in Panama are good relative to other Central American countries.
2-high fuel prices are driving recent vehicular sales here.
3-finding/importing replacement parts for SUVs manufactured for the Canadian and US markets is difficult, time-consuming, and costly.
There are still people who are willing to pay for US and Canadian SUVs in Panama. However, to put this delicately, without existing connections, being selected as the provider would be difficult.
For the short term, I like the idea of Mexico. But note that they too are suffering from the fuel prices. The president has just frozen the prices of over 150 consumer items -- and producers will be looking for ways to cut costs. This, among other things, will drive a trend toward more fuel efficency.
|