NINGBO MORE KASI TRADING CO.,LTD

The Panama Canal is closed again!

In order to mitigate the impact of the severe drought, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has renewed its traffic restrictions, which will reduce the number of ships passing through the world’s major maritime trade route from 32 to 31 per day starting in November. With next year expected to be even drier, further contraction may be expected.

The ACP has imposed a number of restrictions in recent months to save water, including limiting the depth of draft for ships to 13 meters from 15 meters and regulating daily shipping volumes. In general, the normal daily shipping volume can reach 36 trips.

The ACP said that because the water crisis had not been alleviated, it had “found it necessary to implement additional adjustments and the new rules will be implemented from November 1”. The drought is expected to continue into next year.
The ACP said that starting in November, up to nine ships will be able to pass through the Neopanamax lock and 22 ships will pass through the Panamax Lock each day.

To avoid ship delays and long queues, ACP will also provide new schedules for new Panamax locks and Panamax locks to allow customers to adjust their own itineraries.

Several experts have warned that maritime trade could be disrupted as next year is expected to be drier. It is believed that the dry season in Panama may start early. Warmer than average temperatures could increase evaporation and lead to near record low water levels next April.

The rainy season in Panama usually starts in May and lasts until December, but today it came particularly late and the rains have been intermittent. Canal managers had said Panama would experience droughts every five years or so, but now they appear to be happening every three years, making the current drought the driest since records began in 1950.
Mr. Gurria, the engineer, pointed to the walls of the Pedro Miguel lock and said that normally the water level had to reach the yellow line, but it was now two meters lower. The lock is about 10 kilometers from the entrance to the Pacific end of the Panama Canal.