# Panama Canal says $1 million-plus auction slots reflect temporary surge in demand By Reuters

> The Panama Canal Authority said some ships recently paid more than $1 million at auction for crossing slots. It attributed the high prices to a temporary demand surge after the Middle East conflict began, with average auction prices rising to about $385,000 from roughly $135,000 to $140,000. Most ships book in advance, and only three to five auction slots are offered daily.

- Date: 2026-04-23 · published 2026-04-23T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region Panama Canal · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/16864-panama-canal-says-1-million-plus-auction-slots-reflect-temporary-surge-in
- Commodities: [Ocean Grain Freight](https://feedsoft.ai/c/OCEANFRT.md)

## Why it matters

The authority's view that the premium is temporary suggests limited lasting upward pressure on freight costs for grain and feed cargoes using the canal.

## Read by commodity

- OCEANFRT: neutral

## Sources

- au.investing.com: https://au.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/panama-canal-says-1-millionplus-auction-slots-reflect-temporary-surge-in-demand-4380748

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.