From January 5-10, 2026, the Panama Canal story has focused on stabilising transit conditions and renewing relations with the United States. Operationally, it has entered 2026 with more predictable slot allocation, relaxed draft limits, and unchanged toll structures; politically senior Panamanian officials have reiterated that its operation remains efficiently managed and fully under Panamanian control.
Panama and the United States have signed an accord that grants priority and free passage for American military vessels through the Panama Canal. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth made this announcement following discussions with Panamanian officials, signaling an important shift in bilateral relations.
Trump administration intensified enforcement against Venezuelan oil exports in late December 2025, when US Coast Guard officers seized two tankers and pursued another vessel associated with shadow fleet vessels linked to Venezuela. Operations also targeted sanctioned oil shipments connected to its government.
Geopolitical tensions dominated global maritime trade during the final months of 2025, with US tariffs driving cargo contraction and port charge retaliations from China. A Busan truce offered some relief while Red Sea trials conducted by Maersk and CMA CGM hinted at normalization; container rates continued to surge amid delays highlighting persistent disruptions.
Recent developments in subsea cable infrastructure reflect strategic initiatives and integrity: El Salvador’s regulator selects Liberty Networks for its first 1,800km cable from El Salvador to Panama by 2028; Sumitomo Electric secures UK Sea Link HVDC project while Tekmar secures $9M UK wind cable protection deal, enhancing global digital and energy resilience.
Between December 15 and 17 the EU blacklisted additional operators and businesspeople of Rosneft and Lukoil linked to Russia’s ‘shadow tanker’ fleet, also plans to reinterpret maritime law to ease boarding suspect vessels, protecting subsea infrastructure while targeting these tankers.
In Panama, between January and October 2025, the growth in vessel transits across the Panama Canal rose by 5.6% helping Panama’s monthly economic activity index and solidifying its role as a trade engine despite issues in construction and parts of trades impacted by container freight cancellations and land cargo cancellations. Growth in container throughput in national port systems as well as enhanced air connectivity put the logistics hub strategy on a firm footing ahead of problems in industries suffering the most from trade tensions and the construction cycle.
Evergreen marine will cement its place among the world’s leaders in container shipping, buying 14 LNG dual-fuel boxships of 14,000-TEU capacity from Samsung Heavy Industries and Guangzhou Shipyard International for about $2.8-$3bn by November 2025.
Panama re-elected to the International Maritime Organization Council's Category "A" category on December 1, 2025. The Panama Canal Authority also reported results for Fiscal Year 2025 highlighting the recovery from the drought. "The Authority reported a significant fiscal year 2025 as it restored its numbers and reelected to the International Maritime Organization Council’s ‘Category A’ category on 1 December 2025. “With transits up 19.3% year on year to 13,404 vessels and cruise operations returning with cruise line Queen Elizabeth doing her transit,” wrote cruise industry writer David Eads.
Ricaurte Vasquez, during the Houston International Maritime Conference, presented on Panama Canal’s strategy (expansion) to keep one step ahead of changes in world trade - essentially, Panama just spent $8.5B in 'modernization' on adding two new transshipment terminals, an LPG pipeline project, and net zero shipping, among other features.
Between 25 November and 1 December 2025 the maritime domain witnessed 18 critical incidents from drug interdictions, to migrants and boat people being rescued, piracy attack vessels, explosion against tankers off Senegal and in Black Sea, and major drug seizures and boat people crises in Mediterranean and Turkish waters. Notably, explosions against tankers off Senegal and in the Black Sea, alongside crises affecting those coming through Euro waters due to crisis migration.