Fees for vessels passing through the Panama Canal in 2025 are 15% below 2024 levels due to increased capacity, according to Ricaurte Vasquez, head of the Panama Canal Authority, in a video conference on Wednesday, Reuters reports.
A drought spanning late 2023 to early 2024 led to passage restrictions on the waterway, the world’s second busiest, resulting in extended waiting times and elevated transit fees.
These restrictions were removed in the third quarter of 2024, enabling up to 36 vessels to transit daily. The canal’s monthly bulletin reported an average of 34.8 vessel transits in February 2025, up from 32.6 in January.
Vasquez, speaking at the International Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) conference ‘Facing the Challenges of LPG Trade Flows’ earlier this month, stated, “The Panama Canal will continue to play a crucial role in world trade, balancing the demands of an evolving industry with the need for sustainable environmental management.”
Panama Canal Authority (ACP), established in 1999 and headquartered in Balboa, Panama, manages the Panama Canal, overseeing more than 12,000 annual transits and generating nearly $5 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2024.