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# Commission to Recommend Cobre Panamá Restart
- URL: https://balboa.news/commission-to-recommend-cobre-panama-restart/
- Published: 2026-09-30T13:05:26.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-30T13:05:26.000Z
- Author: Balboa News Desk
- Tags: Economy

A Panamanian government commission is expected to recommend restarting the suspended Cobre Panamá mine through a partnership between the state and First Quantum Minerals, according to a Reuters report published early Wednesday.

The proposal has not been officially confirmed, and it does not amount to authorization to resume mining.

Reuters cited two unnamed sources familiar with the commission’s deliberations. They said the panel would formally present the recommendation to President José Raúl Mulino on September 30\. Mulino would make the final decision, and any reopening would still require an agreement with First Quantum and a legally viable operating structure.

Commerce and Industries Minister Julio Moltó had previously confirmed that the commission would deliver its final report on Wednesday. He said the document contained recommendations from the commerce, economy and environment ministries but did not disclose their contents.

According to Reuters, the proposal would involve a state partnership while First Quantum retained an operational role. Details such as ownership percentages, revenue sharing, environmental obligations and the state’s level of control have not been officially announced.

Cobre Panamá suspended production in November 2023 after the Supreme Court declared its operating contract unconstitutional. The closure followed nationwide protests focused on environmental safeguards, sovereignty and the terms granted to the mining company.

Panama also adopted a moratorium prohibiting new metallic-mining concessions. How a state partnership would comply with that law and the Supreme Court judgment remains unresolved.

A government-commissioned audit published this year gave the operation an overall compliance score of 87.73 out of 100 but identified environmental and technical risks. Environmental organizations challenged the audit’s methodology and argued that much of its evidence came from company records.

Before its closure, Cobre Panamá accounted for approximately 1% of global copper production and was First Quantum’s most important operation. A private-sector study estimated that the shutdown affected more than 30,000 jobs and reduced taxes and royalties by almost $1.4 billion during 2024 and 2025.

The commission’s recommendation, if confirmed, would begin another phase of political, legal and environmental debate rather than immediately reopen the mine.

**Sources:** Reuters