Panama Canal Pushes Back on ‘Line Jumping’ Claims as Auction Slot Prices Surge
Photo: evenfh / Shutterstock
Panama Canal Pushes Back on ‘Line Jumping’ Claims as Auction Slot Prices Surge
Lori Ann LaRocco
Total Views: 0
April 24, 2026
By Lori Ann LaRocco – Panama Canal authorities are trying to debunk the misconception that auction slots are a free pass to cut the line.
“People are saying, if you buy an auction slot, it allows you to come in at the last minute and jump the line,” said Victor Vial, CFO of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP). The auction gave them a slot that was already accounted for to transit that day.”
Three auction slots are reserved daily to accommodate segments like LPG and LNG that need space on short notice.
Yumiko Casiano, revenue management team leader at the Panama Canal, explained to gCaptain that canceled bookings are then added to the list of auction slots. Three to five auction slots can be available daily.
“The change was made to ensure transparency and fairness in determining priority and pricing through an auction system, rather than
India Mulls Options On Iran Port Stake Before Sanctions Kick In
Stock Photo: Photo Tripper92/Shutterstock
India Mulls Options On Iran Port Stake Before Sanctions Kick In
Bloomberg
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April 25, 2026
By Sudhi Ranjan Sen and Mihir Mishra
Apr 25, 2026 (Bloomberg) –India is considering various options regarding its stake in the Chabahar port in Iran, including temporarily divesting from it, ahead of the expiry of a US sanctions waiver in coming days, officials familiar with the matter said.
New Delhi is holding separate talks with the US and Iran on how to proceed on its
$120 million investment in the port
, the people said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private. One of the options is to temporarily transfer the stake to an Iranian entity, one of the officials said. India doesn’t plan to completely exit the port, the person said, since there are plans to expand connectivity at the harbor through a rail link.
Officials had been hopeful that the sanctions waiver, which is due to expire April 26, would be extended, but
France Reaffirms Efforts To Reopen Strait Of Hormuz
A French Navy boat patrols around the Mozambique-flagged oil tanker named Deyna, which France says is part of Russia’s shadow fleet, off the port of Marseille-Fos in the Gulf of Fos-sur-Mer, near Martigues, France, March 23, 2026. REUTERS/Manon Cruz
France Reaffirms Efforts To Reopen Strait Of Hormuz
Reuters
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April 25, 2026
April 25 (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated on Saturday that he was focused on efforts to reopen the
Strait of Hormuz
, a day after the head of
TotalEnergies
TTEF.PA warned of global energy shortages if the Iran war continues for months.
Macron, speaking at a news conference in Athens alongside Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, said panic caused by geopolitical uncertainty can in itself lead to shortages.
“Our goal is to achieve a full reopening in the coming days and weeks, in accordance with international law, guaranteeing freedom of navigation without tolls on the Strait of Hormuz. Then things can gradually return to nor
Atlantic MR Balance to Tighten as Eastbound Flows Dominate
Atlantic MR Balance to Tighten as Eastbound Flows Dominate
in
International Shipping News
24/04/2026
M
R ballasters in the Atlantic Basin have remained broadly rangebound, even in the post-war environment. This reflects largely offsetting vessel flows: while MRs in the Atlantic Basin have been fixing cargoes for voyages into the Pacific Basin, this has been counterbalanced by a steady flow of vessels ballasting back from the Pacific to the Atlantic. As a result, overall availability has not recorded extreme values.
French business confidence confirms weakness in domestic demand
French business confidence confirms weakness in domestic demand
in
World Economy News
24/04/2026
Deteriorating growth outlook
As expected, business confidence in France deteriorated sharply in April, down three points over the month. The decline is particularly pronounced in retail trade, where the indicator fell by six points, as well as in services. In both sectors, the overall outlook has darkened significantly: expected demand is declining, and order intentions have contracted sharply.
By contrast, business confidence remained stable in construction and improved slightly in industry.
How the Strait of Hormuz Crisis is Reshaping the Bulker Market
How the Strait of Hormuz Crisis is Reshaping the Bulker Market
in
Dry Bulk Market
,
International Shipping News
24/04/2026
T
he Bulker market entered 2026 with momentum, supported by firm asset values and solid secondhand activity. That momentum has since been tempered by the escalating crisis at the Strait of Hormuz, which has progressively weighed on ordering confidence, freight markets, and transaction volumes as the conflict has deepened.
At the time of writing, 192 Bulkers totalling 11.7 mil DWT are among the 1,005 vessels stranded in the region, including Iranian-owned tonnage. While Capesize vessels have seen some rate support from broader fleet tightening, smaller segments face more direct exposure to disrupted Gulf commodity flows, and the market as a whole is now in a period of cautious reassessment.
Newbuilding orders slow sharply after a strong start to 2026
Bulker newbuilding activity has slowed markedly in 2026.
China weathered Trump’s tariffs – but the Iran war is taking a toll
China weathered Trump’s tariffs – but the Iran war is taking a toll
in
World Economy News
24/04/2026
It’s a sombre gathering in the backstreets of one of China’s biggest manufacturing hubs, where workers are smoking under a tree in front of storefronts advertising temporary factory jobs.
“No-one understands what our life is like,” says one man who is unwilling to be named.
“We work and work and have no life. Please help us,” another adds – a rare, risky plea to a foreign journalist.
They seem desperate, struggling to earn enough to send money home, as they cope with the massive shifts in Chinese manufacturing, from cheap, mass-produced goods to automated advanced tech.
And that was even before the US-Israel war with Iran shook the global economy.
China’s economy was already battling slower growth and unemployment when Donald Trump’s tariffs hit last year. Still, it proved resilient, boosting exports and reporting GDP growth of around 5%.
Iran’s Swarm Tactics Show Why Hormuz Is Far From Safe
Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) vessels conducted unsafe and unprofessional actions against U.S. Military ships by crossing the ships’ bows and sterns at close range while operating in international waters of the Persian Gulf, April 15, 2020. Navy Photo
Iran’s Swarm Tactics Show Why Hormuz Is Far From Safe
Reuters
Total Views: 1
April 23, 2026
By Jonathan Saul
LONDON, April 23 (Reuters) – Iran’s use of a swarm of small, fast boats to
seize two container ships
near the Strait of Hormuz could undermine suggestions U.S.
Shipping Caught in the Crossfire
Shipping Caught in the Crossfire
in
Hellenic Shipping News
24/04/2026
T
he events of the past week, surrounding the situation in Hormuz, have shown a clear disconnect between what’s been said and the harsh reality. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Xclusiv said that “even though Iran and the US formally agreed to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, the reality on the water tells a different story. Iranian forces have reasserted tight control over transit, while the ongoing US naval blockade continues to intercept and deter vessels, with ships being turned back or even seized during passage attempts.
US-Iran Tensions Build Over Hormuz in Absence of Peace Talks
Luojiashan tanker sits anchored in Muscat, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 7, 2026. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
US-Iran Tensions Build Over Hormuz in Absence of Peace Talks
Bloomberg
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April 23, 2026
(Bloomberg) — US and Iran tensions grew over the
Strait of Hormuz
with both sides maintaining their blockades of the critical waterway, creating an uneasy standoff with no sign of peace talks on the horizon.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered the US Navy to shoot any boat putting mines in the strait, while the military said it intercepted two oil supertankers that tried to evade its effort to prevent passage to and from Iran’s ports. US forces boarded a “sanctioned stateless vessel” transporting oil from Iran in the Indian Ocean overnight, the Pentagon said.Play Video
Tehran attacked at least three vessels on Wednesday, helping to ensure the key transit point for oil and gas flows remains effect