The Panama Canal drought is still ongoing!

Recently, the management authorities of the Panama Canal, a major global maritime trade route, announced that the daily number of ships passing through the canal will be reduced from 32 to 31, in order to mitigate the impact of the severe drought expected to continue until next year.

According to Reuters, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has implemented multiple navigation restrictions in recent months to save water, including limiting vessel draft and regulating daily shipping. ACP also stated that starting from November, a maximum of 9 ships will pass through the Neopanamax lock and 22 ships will pass through the Panamax lock every day.

To avoid ship delays and backlog, ACP will also provide new schedules for the new Panamax and Panamax locks, allowing customers to adjust their itinerary on their own. Multiple experts have warned that maritime trade may be disrupted due to further drought next year.