The Panama Canal will reduce the maximum draught for vessels transiting its larger Neo-Panamax locks to 49.5 feet (15.09 metres) from 50 feet (15.24 metres) starting on July 3, as part of a water-management strategy aimed at safeguarding operations amid the risk of an El Niño weather pattern later this year.
The Panama Canal Authority said on Friday the adjustment, based on current and projected water levels at Gatun Lake in coming weeks, would not affect the number of daily transits and would impact fewer than 1.7 per cent of Neo-Panamax vessels using the waterway.
The half-foot (15-centimetre) reduction means some ships may need to carry slightly less cargo so they sit higher in the water, helping the canal conserve freshwater while maintaining safe passage through the locks. The measure applies only to Neo-Panamax vessels, the largest ships able to use the expanded canal.
The authority described the move as part of its broader strategy ahead of the 2026 dry season and in response to the possibility that El Niño could emerge in the second half of the year, persist into 2027 and strain water availability.
The governing body had said back in May that vessel restrictions would not be necessary this year.
The Panama Canal Authority said the decision reflects lessons learnt during the 2023-2024 water shortage, when drought forced deeper draught restrictions and capacity cuts that disrupted global shipping.
That system is critical not only for shipping but also for Panama's domestic water supply.
In a late-May update, the authority said it did not expect the anticipated 2026 El Niño to materially disrupt transits through the end of this year, though it has warned that water-saving measures may be needed in 2027 if dry conditions worsen.
(Reporting by Elida Moreno and Raul Cortes; Additional reporting by Kylie Madry; Editing by Daina Beth Solomon and Aida Pelaez-Fernandez)
