The Panama Canal announces that as of Wednesday, April 19, a transitory adjustment of the draft level for Neopanamax vessels transiting the interoceanic waterway will take effect due to the recent drought, which has resulted in low levels in its lake system.
As a result of this adjustment for the current dry season, vessels making the transit will be offered a draft of 47.5 feet instead of the maximum allowed which is 50 feet. This is a measure that has been implemented in the past when required due to drought, which forces these vessels to reduce the volume of cargo they carry.
Canal Administrator, Dr. Ricaurte Vásquez Morales, explained that the lack of rainfall has impacted the availability of water resources and that the Canal is forced to make these adjustments. On March 19, for the shipping lines to take the necessary precautions, the Canal communicated to its customers the measure of future draft reductions depending on the availability of the resource.
Since January 3, the Canal implemented a series of water saving measures in its operations to provide adequate water supply and provide a reliable and competitive draft to customers during the dry season. We hope that the rainy season will allow us to lift this measure as soon as possible.
