Panama Canal: possible cuts to daily transits due to drought

The Panama Canal is considering reducing the number of ships that cross the interoceanic route daily. The goal is to mitigate the effects of El Niño and ensure sufficient water for the next eight months.

Administrator Ricaurte Vásquez explained that there are currently 34 transits per day, but capacity could soon be cut. “We will possibly have to make an adjustment in this regard and make an announcement in the next 48 hours,” Vásquez said.

While specifying that the basins record higher water levels than in the past, the administrator warned that the current climate phenomenon could extend for a very long time. Drawing on the experience gained during the water crisis of 2023 and 2024, he reassured the market: "The Canal does not improvise, the Canal is prepared". The infrastructure will in fact have to manage its own reserves to maintain active operations until December.

Despite high global demand, ship traffic will be strictly regulated based on water availability. Vásquez also defended the booking and auction system, which pushed several companies to shell out millions in euros to secure passages. Finally, he called for a major national water plan to address climate change, reiterating the need to develop the Indio River project.