All PortsCargoPilot®
Sign InGet Started
Colón
Panama
PAMIT
No Data
K+N Status
AIS limited in region
K+N24 Mar 2026
Updated 15m ago

Port Intelligence — What freight teams need to know

Colón sits at the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. Berthing times peaked at 23.5 hours during the 2024 drought but dropped 47% to 10.6 hours by Aug 2025 as canal operations recovered. The canal is now at full water capacity (50ft draught maintained through 2025-2026 dry season) but transits still 14% below pre-drought levels. The structural risk: climate models project more frequent/severe droughts in Panama, and the Rio Indio reservoir project won't be ready until 2031.

No K+N update for this port yet

Weekly reports are loaded every Monday. Check back soon.

Customs Reality at Colón
7d
Published free time
5d
Effective free time

Colón Free Zone (CFZ) offers duty-free storage/transhipment. Customs efficient for transit cargo.

Demurrage: $22/TEU/day · Detention: $14/TEU/day

Common Rejection Reasons

  • Documentation errors for CFZ cargo
  • Phytosanitary certificates for food transit
Cold Chain Reality at Colón
Mitigation:During drought advisories, route via Suez or Cape for Asia-USEC. Monitor ACP (Panama Canal Authority) daily slot availability.
Failure point:Canal transit queue
Significance:Moderate — transhipment hub. CFZ handles significant re-export of perishables to Caribbean/LatAm.
Primary failure mode:Canal transit delays during drought conditions extending reefer time in transit. During 2024 drought, some vessels waited days for canal slot.
Reefer plug availability:Adequate
Alternative Ports to Colón

If disruption makes Colón unviable for your cargo

CartagenaCOCTG
+$100/TEU
350 nm away6h less wait
Works for: Caribbean transhipment avoiding canal dependency.
Not for: Pacific-bound cargo requiring canal transit.

Cargo Intelligence Platform

Know exactly what's happening to your cargo — before it becomes a problem.

CargoPilot applies deep AI analysis to every shipment moving through Colón — surfacing risks, customs traps, and delay patterns your freight team would otherwise miss.

  • AI-powered risk analysis on every shipment
  • Port disruption alerts delivered before they hit
  • Customs, demurrage & detention intelligence

First 3 shipments free. No credit card required.

Live AIS Vessels

AIS coverage limited at this port. The free AIS tier has restricted coverage in some regions, particularly mainland China ports and parts of the Middle East.

Money Traps at Colón
Canal slot auction premiums during restrictions
During 2023-24 drought, auction premiums reached $4M+ per slot. Even under normal conditions, slot booking fees apply.
Book canal slots well in advance. Monitor ACP draft/transit restrictions.
Seasonal Patterns
Jan-Apr (Dry season)
Gatun Lake levels drop. Drought restrictions possible — draft limits and reduced daily transits.
Monitor ACP water level bulletins. Plan genset for extended canal queue.
Next El Niño cycle (2-7 years)
Severe drought recurrence. 2023-24 drought cut daily transits from 36 to 18.
Structural risk — diversify routing to not depend 100% on Panama Canal.

Sources

Port status: Kuehne+Nagel Port Operational Update

Port intelligence: CargoPilot curated research

Privacy Policy