Panama Canal Authorities (ACP) announced it Starting November 1st they will reduce the number of boats to 31Which cross daily along the route between the oceans.

The canal authorities took the new measure due to the severe drought the country is experiencing, which has limited the availability of fresh water in the lakes that feed the canal.

That was in August Ricorte Vasquez, channel director He stressed that daily traffic through the canal will decrease to between 30 to 32 ships, instead of the usual 36 to 38 ships they serve.

The ACP explained that the maximum crossings The allowance will be divided as follows: nine for each Neopanamax lock And 22 for Panamax.

In addition, the transit reservation spaces provided daily will be adjusted to a maximum of 30, eight of which will be at the locks. Neopanamax The rest is in centuries-old locks Panamax.

the As announced by the canal authorities In order to allow customers to adjust their itineraries and reduce waiting times for ships without a reservation, from October 4 to 31, reservation spaces in Panamax locks will be limited to a total of 14.

he Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology of Panama It is estimated that rainfall in 2023 will be between 15 and 30% below normal. In addition, there was a delay in the start of the rainy season, resulting in reduced rainfall.