Shippers pay large premiums for guaranteed Panama Canal transits as Gulf tensions reshape routes

- Shippers are paying large sums for guaranteed Panama Canal transits as Gulf tensions shift route demand, turning passage into a market for reliability rather than just a schedule choice. - Industry reports say auction‑slot prices have more than doubled and some firms reportedly paid as much as $4 million for priority passage; averages rose from roughly $135k–$140k to about $385k in March–April. - The rising price of certainty concentrates premium transit on a few cargoes and tightens the queue for ordinary imports, forcing harder prioritization decisions across supply chains. (fortune.com) (seatrade-maritime.com) (en.tempo.co)