The Panama Canal has adjusted its booking slots and draft restrictions amid increasing drought concerns related to the El Niño weather event, according to an Aug. 20 shipping advisory.
The number of daily slots available at the canal’s Neopanamax locks will be trimmed to nine, effective Sept. 3. Daily slots for the Panamax locks will be adjusted to 25 the same day and reduced to 23, effective Sept. 15, according to a press release.
The Neopanamax usually has 10 daily slots and Panamax at 26 daily slots. However, there can be times where there are a couple of additional transits daily, a Panama Canal spokesperson said.
“Despite the arrival of the rainy season in Panama, and the water-saving measures implemented by the Panama Canal to mitigate the adverse effects of the El Niño event, current watershed conditions, including below-expected precipitation in the Canal watershed, require additional action to support the long-term sustainability of transit operations,” per the release.
Panama Canal Administrator Ricaurte Vásquez Morales had warned in July that reductions in daily booking slots were a measure the canal would likely implement, but he said the timing and scope would depend on market conditions.
Current water levels at Gatun Lake have also led the waterway's authorities to postpone upcoming draft restrictions. Gatun Lake provides water for the canal and Panama residents.
The 48-foot draft restriction set for Aug. 26 will now take effect until Sept. 2. The 47.5-foot draft restriction set to take effect on Sept. 3 will now be moved to Oct. 1, per the shipping advisory.
Rainfall across the Panama Canal’s watershed has been 34% below the historical average during the current hydrological year from May through August, per the advisory. Forecasts also indicate that the 2026-2027 El Niño may reduce precipitation during the remainder of the wet season.
“The Panama Canal will continue to closely monitor weather conditions, watershed inflows, and lake levels. Should additional operational adjustments become necessary, the canal will provide customers with timely updates,” per the release.
As the waterway continues to adjust its operations, ocean carriers such as MSC and CMA CGM have implemented or updated their Panama Canal-related surcharges due to operational constraints and increased costs.
