Panama Canal under pressure as containership pays $4 million

A 10,100 TEU containership reportedly paid about US$4 million to secure priority transit through the Panama Canal, as surging demand and renewed water concerns put the key maritime gateway under growing pressure. The Seaspan Benefactor was reported as the buyer of the auctioned transit slot, allowing the vessel to move ahead of ships waiting to cross the Canal, according to The Guardian. Ships were waiting about 10 days for passage at the time. The US$4 million payment was reportedly more than double the average auction bid over the previous seven days. Seaspan Benefactor container ship Source: VesselFinder The payment was not the vessel’s normal Panama Canal toll.