Panama Canal tolls: the two-component tariff
The Panama Canal toll structure since 1 January 2023: a fixed component by size category and locks used, plus a capacity component on the billing unit for each ship type.
A Panama Canal toll has been charged since 1 January 2023 as a fixed component per transit, set by toll assessment size category and the locks used, plus a capacity component charged on the billing unit for the ship type, plus surcharges. The fixed component runs from USD 15,000 for a small Regular vessel to USD 300,000 for most NeoPanamax segments, and it does not scale with the cargo carried.
The full article will work a toll through for each segment, since the billing unit differs: container ships pay per TEU on Total TEU Allowance, dry bulk on deadweight, gas carriers per cubic metre, warships and floating drydocks on displacement, and large passenger vessels per berth, with PC/UMS net tonnage used only for the remaining segments. It will also cover the ballast concession, the Fresh Water Charge, and the 2022 restructure approved by the Cabinet Council that produced the current shape.