Panamax locks to pilot long-term transit reservations

The Panama Canal Authority issued a notice on the 5th stating that it will pre-allocate long-term transit slots for the period from January 3 to April 3, 2027 through the "Long-Term Transit Slot Allocation Plan," and for the first time will extend this mechanism from the Neopanamax locks to the Panamax locks on a trial basis. The notice stated that the Panamax locks will allocate an average of 3 slots per day for the trial plan, with bidding scheduled for November 24, mainly targeting companies with fixed voyage schedules, as well as companies that have difficulty obtaining regular slots due to low rankings in the reservation system; the Neopanamax locks will continue to use the existing "Long-Term Transit Slot Allocation Plan," retaining an average of 3 long-term transit slots per day, with bidding scheduled for November 17.