15 March 2025

Panama Canal tolls will be cut by 15% in 2025 since 2024 as capacity increases following drought restrictions, Panama Canal Authority chief Ricaurte Vasquez told Reuters in an interview.

A drought that lasted from late 2023 to early 2024 restricted shipping through the world’s second busiest waterway, leading to longer transit and waiting times and higher tolls. As the drought eased and water levels increased, the restrictions were lifted in the third quarter of 2024, allowing up to 36 ships to transit each day. The Panama Canal Authority’s monthly bulletin shows an average of 34.8 ships per day in February 2025, up from an average of 32.6 per day in January 2025.

According to the statement of the Head of the Canal Authority at the International Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Conference, in the face of the challenges of LPG trade flows, the Panama Canal will continue to play an important role in world trade, balancing the needs of the international maritime industry with the need for sustainable environmental management.

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP), established in 1999 and headquartered in Balboa, Panama, manages the Panama Canal, with more than 12,000 ship trips annually and generating nearly $5 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2024.

Recently, the Panama Canal issue has become more heated in the media, when US President Donald Trump repeatedly expressed his desire to increase control here and reduce China's influence.

Source: Logistics Viet Nam