Panama Canal chief says more transit reductions possible as reservoirs drop amid severe El Nino impact

Panama Canal workers carry out maintenance work at the Miraflores Locks in Panama City on September 4, 2026, as a reduction in canal transits linked to the El Nino phenomenon comes into force. — AFP pic

First Published: Tuesday, 08 Sep 2026 10:49 AM MYT

PANAMA CITY, Sept 8 — The number of ships sailing through the Panama Canal could be cut further due to drought caused by the El Nino weather pattern, the new administrator of the waterway told AFP yesterday.

Panama has declared a nationwide emergency over El Nino, a phenomenon developing over the Pacific Ocean that is affecting worldwide weather patterns and pushing up global temperatures.

This year’s El Nino is expected to be the strongest since record-keeping began four decades ago.

Panama’s restrictions come even as use of the canal has risen: shippers are seeking an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blocked in retaliation for the war launched by the United States and Israel.

The interoceanic Panama Canal — which handles five per cent of global maritime trade — has already reduced the maximum number of ships allowed through daily, from 36 last month to 32 by mid-September.

It operates using rainwater that collects in two reservoirs, whose levels have dropped due to the onset of El Nino.

Without water, the locks that lift and lower ships at the start and end of their crossing cannot function.

Ilya Espino de Marotta, who took over as head of the Panama Canal Authority on Monday, told AFP that further measures may be implemented if the drought does not subside.

“We do not rule out the possibility that in February or March we may have to lower the limit — probably not to 24 slots per day, but it could be reduced to 29 or something similar,” she said.

The container ship CMA CGM Arctic, sailing under the Maltese flag, passes through the Cocoli Locks of the Panama Canal in Panama City on September 3, 2026, ahead of reduced transit measures linked to the El Nino weather phenomenon that are set to come into force on September 4. — AFP pic

200 million litres per ship 

Each ship requires about 200 million litres of water, which is then discharged into the sea.

In 2023, El Nino forced a reduction in daily transits from 38 to 22 due to the dramatic reduction in reservoir levels.

Espino de Marotta, the first woman ever to head the US-built canal authority, stated, however, that she does not expect restrictions to reach the levels seen that year.

Apart from reducing the number of vessels, canal authorities have also reduced their maximum draft, from 15.2 meters to 14.6 meters.

The draft is the vertical distance between the waterline and the lowest point of a ship’s hull. It is a measure of how much water is needed for a ship to float safely without running aground.

Experts have warned that long-term restrictions on canal crossings could lead to higher shipping costs and longer waiting times for deliveries.

The United States and China are the main users of the canal, which is the fastest maritime route between the east coast of the United States and China.

The canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific handles around 40 per cent of US container traffic.

The Iran war has pushed up traffic through the channel.

With shipping at a standstill in the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for a fifth of the world’s oil and gas, the Panama Canal has become a fallback route for energy shipments. — AFP