Panama’s drought is causing nightmares to world
trade and putting a logistics squeeze on the critical international shipping
pathway.
According to Panama Canal Authority, water levels
have not recovered enough to resume normal passage, and the daily transit
limits and vessel draught restrictions
imposed earlier this year will need to remain in place until this time next
year unless extensive rainfall is received in the canal catchment before
the dry season begins in late November.
Since July
30, the Panama Canal Authority has decreased the maximum number of vessels
allowed to transit the lock system daily from 40 to 32.
The situation is manageable at the moment, but the
crisis is serious. Any increase in
maritime bottlenecks could spell trouble for the global supply chain networks
with increasing logistics costs and drastically changing international trade
flows, as per a report.