US EditionPanama Canal reaffirms 'neutrality' amid Mideast war
Asian refiners are rerouting crude through the canal as Iran’s Hormuz disruption drives record slot auctions and 3.5-day waits, officials said.
- On Tuesday, Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha reaffirmed the Panama Canal's "neutrality" and the "need to preserve" maritime routes as oil traffic surges to 4-year highs amid the Strait of Hormuz blockade.
- Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz forced Asian refineries to pivot rapidly to US Gulf Coast crude, with volumes transiting the Panama Canal exceeding 200,000 barrels per day in April.
- Daily transits climbed to 36-38 vessels in April, well above projections; Panama Canal Authority Administrator Ricaurte Vásquez confirmed companies paid up to US$4 million in auction premiums for immediate passage.
- Iran's April 23 seizure of the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca places Panama in an unwilling position within the US-Iran energy dispute, threatening its status as a major ship registry.
- For President José Raúl Mulino, the traffic surge provides revenue flexibility while increasing geopolitical exposure, making 2026 the most consequential year for the waterway since the 1999 US handover.
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Al Arabiya
Al-Monitor
Panama Canal sees spike in vessel traffic due to war in Middle East
PANAMA CITY, April 28 (Reuters) - The Panama Canal Authority, an autonomous agency that runs the major freight channel through Central America, on Tuesday said the U.S.-Iran war in the Middle East should cause more shipments to travel through the canal."The expectation is that this will continue until the situation in the Middle East is resolved," the agency's finance chief Victor Vial said at a meeting, noting that since October the canal had r…
Panama Canal Oil Traffic Hits 4-Year High on Hormuz Crisis
Key Points — US oil cargoes transiting the Panama Canal exceeded 200,000 barrels per day in April 2026 — close to the highest level since July 2022, according to maritime intelligence firm Kpler. The Panama Canal oil traffic surge reflects Asian refineries’ rapid pivot to American crude as Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of […] The post Panama Canal Oil Traffic Hits 4-Year High on Hormuz Crisis appeared first on The Rio Times.
The Government of Panama has reaffirmed the "neutrality" of the Panama Canal in the face of the recent tensions between Washington and Beijing and the "need to preserve stability" on the sea transit routes, amid the restrictions in the Strait of Ormuz following the offensive launched by surprise on 28 February by the United States and Israel against Iran.
Panama Canal traffic surges amid Middle East tensions
Victor Vial said the upward trend is expected to persist until tensions in the Middle East ease, News.Az reports, citing Reuters. The rise in vessel traffic follows the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, prompting commercial ships to reroute their journeys. Many are now passing through the Panama Canal while transporting goods that have either been redirected or sourced from alternative markets to avoid routes near Iran. *** Transit costs through…
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