Panama Canal | Transit Capacity and Booking Update

21 August 2026 –Panama Canal transit conditions are changing again, with adjustments to daily slots, draft limits and booking arrangements taking effect over the coming weeks.

Transit slots

• Neopanamax: 10 → 9 per day from 21 August
• Panamax: 26 → 25 per day from 21 August → 23 per day from 1 September

Draft

• 48.0 ft TFW from 2 September
• 47.5 ft TFW postponed until 1 October

Booking

• Last-minute transit service suspended
• Auctions limited to one slot per day
• Booking is now the only way to guarantee a transit date

For vessels scheduled to transit the Panama Canal in the coming weeks, slots, draft and booking conditions all need to be factored into the operation.

YOUR VESSELS, OUR PORTS 

Through our local partner CAPAS EEV, CORP. – Shipping Agency, MasOceans provides port agency and local operational support across Panama, including:

 Bahía Las Minas (𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮 & 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝘃𝗿𝗼𝗻), Colón 2000, Colón Container Terminal, Oil Tanking, Manzanillo International Terminal, Melones Oil Terminal, PPC Balboa & Drydock MEC, PATSA & POTSA, PPC Cristóbal & Telfer Tanks, PSA, PTP Charco Azul, PTP Chiriquí Grande and Taboguilla.

For port calls or local operational support, please contact our Commercial Director, Martaxelle Erussard.

 martaxelle@masoceans.com
 +41 (0) 79 658 1504 / +41 (0) 22 552 0051