The Panama Canal has announced that it will expand restrictions on the maximum draft for ships and will allow only 32 vessels to transit per day due to the prolonged drought. The Panama Canal Authority will maintain a depth of 44 feet, or 13.41 meters, for the new "Panamax" container ships.
In a statement, the authority indicated that "the depth limit will remain at the current level as long as weather conditions do not change significantly," noting that "the canal has experienced a dry season and high evaporation levels over the past six months, in the context of a global phenomenon, with a high likelihood of experiencing the El Niño phenomenon before the end of this year."
It highlighted that during Panama's rainy season, the canal typically sees between 35 and 36 ships per day, requiring about 51 million gallons of water for each crossing.
The authority added: "Since the beginning of the year, the canal has implemented measures for efficient water usage while preparing for the long-term impacts of climate change."
In June, the authority postponed the imposition of further restrictions that would have raised the draft limit by half a foot, meaning that ships would have had to lighten their loads to float higher.
Approximately 3.5 percent of global maritime trade passes through this 80-kilometer waterway, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Panama usually experiences heavy rainfall in July, and the Panama Canal Authority has described the current rainfall deficit as "historically unprecedented." The Panama Canal is one of the busiest trade routes in the world.
