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Starting October 5, 2025, the Panama Canal will give special treatment to ships that produce low carbon emissions. This is part of a new environmental plan called the “NetZero Slot.”
The Panama Canal connects 170 countries and about 2,000 ports. It moves about 3% of global trade. The special slot is for neopanamax ships that use low-carbon fuels (less than 75 grams of CO2 per megajoule, from production to use). These ships must have dual-fuel engines. The slot will be awarded through a competition, not an auction, 30 days before the ship crosses.
Ships that get the slot will get to cross the canal within 24 hours, choose their crossing date within a week, and use a system that helps them arrive just in time. This helps save fuel and time.
The shipping industry is under pressure to reduce pollution. This move by the Panama Canal is part of a larger plan to support cleaner technology. It also helps the canal recover from recent problems like the 2023 drought, which reduced the number of ships allowed to pass.
A second part of this plan will begin in 2026, as more countries want clean energy solutions.
At the same time, Panama’s government has refused to talk to Donald Trump’s team about the canal. They said no to claims that U.S. ships should go through for free or that China is involved in canal decisions. President José Raúl Mulino’s government has stayed silent about any talk of Trump trying to take control of the canal.
Source: MercoPress. Panama Canal.
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