Container Ship Pays $4 Million to Jump Panama Canal Queue

A container ship called the Seaspan Benefactor paid approximately $4 million to skip the waiting queue at the Panama Canal. The amount is described as near-record high for such an auction slot. The payment was made by the vessel's owner, according to sources familiar with the matter. The sources requested anonymity as the auction data is private. The high fee reflects growing demand for priority passage through the critical waterway.