Panama Canal slashes the number of ships allowed through — drought means there isn't enough water in the channel

Mon, 10/02/2023 - 08:04

Monrovia NSU CHALLENGER bulk carrier transits the expanded canal through Cocoli Locks at the Panama Canal, on the outskirts of Panama City, Panama April 19, 2023. — A container ship making its way through the Panama Canal in April 2023, before the drought lowered the water level..
Reuters/ARIS MARTINEZ

The Panama Canal Authority has further restricted the number of boats that can cross per day.
The crucial junction relies on freshwater, which has been in short supply after an intense drought.
Traffic restrictions in August caused a backlog of hundreds of ships waiting to cross.

The Panama Canal Authority further reduced the number of boats that can transit through the strategic waterway, which has been hit by an intense drought.