The administration of the interoceanic route reported that in fiscal year 2025, the Canal's revenues increased by 14.4% compared to the previous year, reaching $5.705 billion. This amount exceeded the budgeted figure of $5.6235 billion. However, for 2026, the Canal projects revenues of $5.2072 billion, less than the previous year, due to a reduction in ship transits caused by the uncertain global economic climate. This contribution is $500 million more than in 2024, thanks to an increase in daily transits from 25 to 33.
Since its transfer to Panamanian hands on December 31, 1999, by the United States, which built and administered it for 86 years, the Canal has delivered contributions to the treasury exceeding $29 billion, according to official figures. A severe drought affected the operations of the Panama Canal, the only freshwater one in the world, during 2023 and part of 2024.
The President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, received on behalf of all Panamanians the dividends from the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) for fiscal year 2025, totaling B/.2.965 billion, which will enter the National Treasury to finance investment projects throughout the country. The Panama Canal is a vital route for world trade, connecting 189 maritime routes and 1,920 ports worldwide. After the activation of its first and only expansion in mid-2016—a third lane through which vessels carrying up to three times the load of those crossing the century-old locks—the waterway's contributions have continued to grow.
The Panamanian Constitution establishes that the Canal will transfer its economic surpluses to the National Treasury each year after covering operational, investment, and maintenance costs, among others. The 2025 budget contemplated a net profit of $3.761 billion and a direct contribution to the Panamanian state of $2.7895 billion, a figure that was ultimately surpassed. The amount consists of $2,372 million from the economic surplus of the route's operation, $591 million from tonnage dues, and $2 million from public service fees.
The check was presented to the President by Jaime Anderson, a foreman with 17 years of service and a descendant of Antillean immigrants who helped build the route. "These contributions are a reflection of the outstanding performance of the interoceanic route during fiscal year 2025, marked by the return of lake levels to normal conditions, which allowed for a draft of 50 feet even during the dry season. As a result, the average daily transits of large vessels stood at 33, compared to the 27 recorded the previous year, which was impacted by the El Niño phenomenon," the official letter stated.
Accompanying the Head of State were Ministers José Ramón Icaza and Felipe Chapman, as well as the ACP administration, on a tour of the Fleet and Equipment Administration and Maintenance Division in Colón, where Mulino spoke with collaborators and recognized their daily effort. Mulino highlighted the dedication of the workers and assured that the canal culture and generational succession guarantee the future of the country's main company.
