Panama Flash! – Panama City – December 19th, 2023
Tug and Barge Units will be Allowed to Participate in Auctions for Booking Slots
Due to the fact that presently only vessels that have been assigned a booking slot are considered for transit, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) finds it necessary to modify certain Transit Reservation System rules to include vessels that currently are not allowed to participate in the booking process, such as tug and barge units.
Therefore, beginning with the auctions to be held on December 21, 2023, for transit on December 28, 2023, tug and barge units will be allowed to participate in the auctions for booking slots in their
respective vessel categories (Neopanamax, supers, or regulars). If a tug and barge unit is awarded the auctioned slot, then the larger of the two will be assigned the slot and will pay the winning bid, while the smaller unit will pay the applicable booking fee based on dimensions.
Since tug and barge units must be physically inspected by ACP personnel prior to being approved for transit, they will be allowed to participate in auctions after conditions for transit have been determined and approval for transit has been given by the Canal Port Captain. In addition, the 18-hour In-Transit-Time will not apply to tug and barge units that obtain a booking slot, since they will generally be scheduled for a two-day or three-day transit due to speed, transit restrictions, and resource requirements. For additional information, please reach out to our operators at operations@nortonlilly.com.pa
Norton Lilly International (Panama) S.A.
Bldg. 3825 – Office 204
Howard – Panama-Pacifico
Panama, Rep. of Panama
Tel: (507) 304-4600
Main email: operations@nortonlilly.com.pa (24 hours)
