Congestion at the Panama Canal

Beginning in October 2023, rainfall near the Panama Canal was 41% less than usual, marking it as the driest month since records began. This decrease in rainfall, a result of the El Niño phenomenon, has led to reduced water availability in the reservoir system. Consequently, the Panama Canal Authority has announced a reduction in the number of reservation slots, which is expected to decrease the canal’s capacity and cause congestion¹.

We have tracked the positions of vessels around the Panama Canal from early July 2023 to the present (November 2023).

References

1

Panama Canal Authority. The driest month of october since 1950. Autoridad del Canal de Panamá, 2023. URL: https://pancanal.com/en/the-driest-month-of-october-since-1950/ (visited on 2023-11-07).