Scope of this guide. Published costs, savings and schedules are indicative examples, not a project quotation or guarantee. Compare the same location, specification and scope. Structural supply, civil works, building services, finishes and logistics must be confirmed separately; permit and engineering requirements depend on the site.
In short
- PEB Corp designs for Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and The Bahamas on the basis of the IBC and ASCE/SEI 7 in the edition each jurisdiction adopts, and confirms the code with the reviewing authority.
- Hurricane design is verified on each project against the wind speed map, exposure, and risk category of the adopted code.
- NewCon Steel® fabricates the cold-formed steel structure at the group plant in Panama City and ships it in containers through Manzanillo, Colón, or Balboa.
- Jamaica and The Bahamas apply their general tariff, while the Trinidad and Tobago Partial Scope Agreement covers only a closed list of products.
- Erection is performed by the buyer's appointed contractor or under a separate construction contract, with screws and bolts and no field welding.
PEB Corp designs steel buildings for Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and The Bahamas on the basis of the IBC and ASCE/SEI 7 in the edition each jurisdiction adopts, and it verifies hurricane design project by project. NewCon Steel® fabricates the cold-formed steel structure at the group plant in Panama City and ships it by sea; each country's customs authority sets the import duty. This guide covers codes, wind, shipping, customs, and erection, island by island.
Codes, duty, and transit by country
The table brings together what changes by destination. The design-basis and duty columns follow the coverage table that NewCon Steel publishes; the local-code column names each country's public reference, which engineering confirms with the reviewing authority.
| Country | Design basis | Local code or reference | Duty on Panamanian steel | Transit from Panama |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamaica | IBC / ASCE 7 as adopted by the project's jurisdiction | National Building Code of Jamaica: ICC model codes with Jamaican application documents, under the Building Act, 2018 | No preferential agreement in force with Panama; the general tariff applies | Days; confirmed per port in the quote |
| Trinidad and Tobago | IBC / ASCE 7 as adopted by the project's jurisdiction | National standards from the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS); the design basis is agreed with the reviewing authority | Partial Scope Agreement in force since July 4, 2016, with a closed product list | Days; confirmed per port in the quote |
| The Bahamas | IBC / ASCE 7 as adopted by the project's jurisdiction | Bahamas Building Code, Third Edition (2003) | No preferential agreement in force with Panama; the general tariff applies | Days; confirmed per port in the quote |
The adopted edition, the wind speed map, and local amendments differ from island to island. PEB Corp confirms the governing code with the project's reviewing engineer before issuing calculations and never assumes one by default. Our guide to building permits for steel buildings in the Caribbean helps you prepare the submittal.
Hurricane design: up to 250 km/h, verified per project
PEB Corp Group publishes hurricane design verified up to 250 km/h (155 mph), which corresponds to Saffir-Simpson Category 4. The quoted wind speed is a design reference, not a universal building rating. PEB Corp engineering checks the figure on each project against the jurisdiction's parameters.
The difference in method matters. The Saffir-Simpson scale classifies hurricanes by 1-minute sustained wind. ASCE/SEI 7-22 instead states the basic wind speed as a 3-second gust at 10 m (33 ft) above ground in open terrain. The design uses the wind speed map, exposure, and risk category set by the adopted code.
In a cold-formed steel building, the wind design focuses on four checks:
- roof uplift and the anchorage of the structure to the foundation;
- screwed and bolted connections between walls, floors, and trusses;
- cladding pressures at corners and edges;
- the risk category of essential facilities, such as designated shelters or hospitals.
Marine exposure matters too. The steel is Zn-Al-Mg 275 g/m² (ZM275 to EN 10346 / ZMM275 to ASTM A1046), 275 g/m² total across both faces (0.90 oz/ft²). That mass is not a service-life guarantee, and the specification is matched to the site's exposure. Our guide to hurricane-resistant steel buildings in the Caribbean goes deeper into wind loads.
Shipping from Panama: containers and ports
NewCon Steel fabricates cold-formed steel (CFS) framing, also called light-gauge steel (LGS), at the group's CNC plant at Centro Industrial PEB, Las Mañanitas, Panama City, to a ±0.5 mm (±0.02 in) CNC fabrication tolerance. The plant has a production capacity of 20,000 m² per month (about 215,000 sq ft per month); the lead time is confirmed against each order.
Material is dimensionally checked, bundled and identified by lot, and shipped in standard containers through the ports of Manzanillo, Colón, or Balboa. Transit to Central America and the Caribbean takes days, not weeks. The exact transit time to your port of discharge, the sailing date, and the Incoterms rule are confirmed with the quote. Our Caribbean shipping logistics guide covers packing and consolidation.
Customs: certificate of origin and destination duty
The steel ships with a Panamanian certificate of origin (HS 72.16); import treatment is decided by the destination customs. Origin rests on the cold forming performed in Panama, which changes the tariff heading from flat-rolled product to structural section. The coating does not confer origin.
- Jamaica and The Bahamas. There is no preferential trade agreement in force with Panama, so the destination's general tariff applies.
- Trinidad and Tobago. The Panama–Trinidad and Tobago Partial Scope Agreement has been in force since July 4, 2016, and covers a closed list of products. The preference applies only if the steel's tariff heading is on that list.
- CARICOM. Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and The Bahamas are CARICOM members; Panama is not, so that membership creates no preference for Panamanian steel.
NewCon Steel works with your customs broker from the quote stage and, when the project warrants it, pursues an advance ruling on origin and classification. It does not quote DDP on the assumption that no duty will apply. The NewCon Steel® coverage page sets out the trade instrument and the documents issued for each country.
Erection and local contractors
NewCon Steel supplies components; erection is performed by the buyer's appointed contractor or under a separate construction contract. The steel arrives cut, punched, marked, and with connections made at the plant, so the frame goes up with screws and bolts and no field welding. Your local general contractor does not need certified welders on site, and NewCon Steel provides an erection guide on request.
SmartBrix Construction builds in Colombia and Panama and accepts inquiries for projects in Central America and the Caribbean; coverage, logistics, permits, and local contractor participation are confirmed for each location. PEB Corp coordinates engineering and export, and the proposal states who is responsible for foundations, anchor rods, unloading, lifting, permits, and taxes at each destination. For another Caribbean market with its own page, see PEB Corp engineering for the Dominican Republic, and read what each PEB Corp Group company does.
US PEMB kit vs. cold-formed steel fabricated in Panama
PEB Corp is the company; "PEB" (pre-engineered building) is also a generic industry term. In the US, a pre-engineered metal building (PEMB) is a rigid-frame system of hot-rolled or built-up sections with cold-formed purlins and girts. The table compares it, in general terms and without reference to any manufacturer, with a cold-formed steel system designed and fabricated in Panama.
| Criterion | US PEMB kit | Cold-formed steel designed and fabricated in Panama |
|---|---|---|
| Structural system | Rigid frames of hot-rolled or built-up sections, with purlins and girts | CFS studs, tracks, panels, and trusses |
| Member design standard | AISC 360 for the primary frames and AISI S100 for secondary members | AISI S100-16 (R2020) w/S3-22 and AISI S240-20; loads per ASCE/SEI 7-22 |
| Typical use | Single-story buildings with long clear spans | Load-bearing walls, floors, and roof trusses; height is set by the structural calculations |
| Field connections | Bolted frame connections | Screws and bolts, no field welding |
| Coating | Varies by manufacturer; confirm the specification | Zn-Al-Mg 275 g/m² total across both faces (ZM275 / ZMM275), applied to the coil |
| Documents | Manufacturer's drawings and calculations; confirm the seals your AHJ requires | Calculations sealed by an engineer licensed in the jurisdiction (with kits), shop drawings, mill certificate (mill test report, MTR), and Panamanian certificate of origin |
| Origin for customs | US origin and the destination's tariff | Panamanian origin; destination customs sets the treatment, under the agreement in force if one exists |
If the project needs long clear spans, engineering may propose a hot-rolled system. Hot-rolled steel structures (AISC 360) are designed by PEB Corp engineering; NewCon Steel® manufactures the bolted cold-formed steel (AISI S100). If you would rather buy the complete structure on one purchase order, the NewCon Steel® structural kit includes sealed calculations and shop drawings. For cost context, see our guide to steel warehouse costs in the Caribbean; its figures are indicative, and scope is always confirmed with a project quote.
What to send to PEB Corp engineering
With these inputs, PEB Corp engineering confirms the governing code and the wind parameters for your site, then routes each scope to the right group company: engineering, steel supply from NewCon Steel, or construction where SmartBrix Construction confirms coverage. Sending current drawings and the reviewing authority's name at the start reduces redesign after the first plan review.
- Island, city, and site location.
- Building use, approximate area, planned number of levels, and available drawings.
- Reviewing authority or governing code, if you know it.
- Required scope: engineering, steel supply, or construction.
- Port of discharge, target date, and your customs broker's contact.
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