Panama Canal adopts additional measures to address reduced water levels

The Panama Canal last week announced, via an Advisory to Shipping, temporary modifications to the locks’ transit capacity including adjustments to its daily auctions, amid reduced precipitation in the canal watershed.

Effective September 3, 2026, the number of daily slots available at the Neopanamax Locks will be adjusted to nine (9), and the daily slots available at the Panamax Locks will be twenty-five (25).  Meanwhile, the number of daily slots accessible at the Panamax Locks will be twenty-three (23), as of September 15, 2026.

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.