No changes in sight. Access to the Panama Canal will continue to be restricted to vessels with a maximum draught of 13.41 metres until further notice.
Despite the arrival of the rainy season in the Isthmus of Panama, the prolonged drought conditions since March leave the Panama Canal Authority no choice but to extend the restrictions to the coming weeks.
The water level of the two artificial lakes that supply the canal with the water needed to operate the locks is in fact still too low for it to be restored to its original vessel transit conditions.
As of 30th July, the daily transit capacity will therefore be limited to an average of 32 ships, with an average of 10 vessels allowed to pass through the larger Neopanamax locks and 22 through the Panamax locks.
A press release issued by the Authority stated that procedures had been put in place in the Canal to improve water efficiency while conducting studies to identify long-term solutions to climate variability. It pointed out that the gravity of the current scenario was unprecedented.
Translation by Giles Foster
