Drought-hit Panama Canal Lets More Unbooked Ships Pass in Bid to Ease Queue
💧Drought-hit Panama Canal Lets More Unbooked Ships Pass in Bid to Ease Queue.
The Panama Canal, grappling with drought conditions, has implemented a temporary measure to limit the number of new reserved passage slots in an effort to alleviate a bottleneck of ships waiting to transit without reservations. The restriction, in place until August 21, applies to passing through the canal's old locks and aims to make room for unbooked ships already in the queue. Despite this challenge, booked transit through the largest locks remains unaffected. The canal's authority has introduced these adjustments to mitigate congestion and maintain operations during an extended dry season, and it is noted that supply chains have begun considering alternative routes as the situation persists.
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