Panama Canal to auction dry-season vessel transit slots

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) will auction slot packages at its Neopanamax and Panamax locks for crossings between 3 January and 3 April 2027.

IMAGE: Cargo port with cranes and shipping containers along the entrance to the Panama Canal. Getty Images

The Neopanamax auction on 17 November will offer 270 slots in 36 packages, 165 northbound and 105 southbound. It continues the ACP's long-term slot allocation programme, which has covered Neopanamax transits since January 2025.

The Panamax auction follows on 24 November. It will offer 288 slots in 51 packages, 147 northbound and 141 southbound. This is the first time Panamax customers can secure slots this way, under a pilot programme.

"Long-term slot allocation could make vessel arrivals at the canal more predictable, allowing shipowners to plan bunker stems more efficiently," a trader tells ENGINE.

Both programmes offer an average of three slots a day, awarded through sealed bids. The remaining slots are expected to stay on offer through the canal's regular booking system and auctions.

By Gautamee Hazarika

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