Panamax
A ship sized to the dimensional limits of the original Panama Canal locks — about 65,000–80,000 DWT for bulkers.
Panamax originally meant the largest vessel that could transit the pre-2016 Panama Canal locks, constrained to about 32.3 m beam. In dry bulk it refers to carriers of roughly 65,000–80,000 DWT. The 2016 expansion created a larger "Neopanamax" envelope.
The class is a workhorse of the grain, coal and minor-bulk trades and a key benchmark in dry-bulk freight indices alongside Capesize and Supramax.
On The Maritime
Also known as: neopanamax, panamax bulker.
Related terms
Kamsarmax
A dry-bulk carrier of about 80,000–85,000 DWT, sized to the maximum length that can load at the port of Kamsar in Guinea.
Capesize
A large dry-bulk carrier (typically 100,000+ DWT) too big for the Panama and Suez canals, routing around the Capes.
Deadweight TonnageDWT
The total weight a ship can carry — cargo plus fuel, stores, crew and water — at her load line, in metric tonnes.
Plain-English reference definition — our own explanation of a standard shipping concept, not a licensed source or legal advice. See the full glossary or the broader maritime dictionary.
Last reviewed: June 2026.