Effective September 3, 2026, the number of daily slots available at the Neopanamax Locks will be adjusted to nine (9), and the daily slots available at the Panamax Locks will be twenty-five (25).  Meanwhile, the number of daily slots accessible at the Panamax Locks will be twenty-three (23), as of September 15, 2026.   Despite the arrival of the rainy season in Panama, and the water-saving measures implemented by the Panama Canal to mitigate the adverse effects of the El Niño event, current watershed conditions, including below-expected precipitation in the Canal watershed, require additional action to support the long-term sustainability of transit operations. Additionally, to promote a more equitable allocation process that better reflects market composition, including various cargo types and market segment characteristics, the Panama Canal will temporarily adjust the offer of its daily auction slots.

Beginning on September 3, 2026, the daily auction slot designated for Neopanamax, Supers and Regular vessels will be organized into four (4) groups:

Group 1: LNG, LPG

Group 2: Dry Bulk Carriers, General Cargo, Others

Group 3: Container vessels, Vehicle Carriers / RoRo, Refrigerated   

Group 4: Chemical Tankers, Crude / Product Tankers

To promote a balanced allocation of booking slots across all users while maximizing water-use efficiency, customers that have already secured a booking slot for the same transit date through LoTSA, NetZero, or prior allocations will not be eligible to obtain an additional slot unless no other competitors exist.   Customer limits do not apply to slots awarded through the auction process. Furthermore, in the Neopanamax Locks, full container vessels with the highest TEU capacity will be given priority during the allocation process, with Customer Ranking used as the tiebreaker criterion. Additional details regarding these modifications are available at the following link.   Notably, customers should be aware that a reduction in the number of daily transits may increase waiting times for vessels arriving at the waterway without a secured reservation.

To reduce the possibility of extended delays, the Panama Canal strongly urges customers to use the booking and reservation options available through the Transit Reservation (Booking) System.

A confirmed reservation through this system is the only mechanism that guarantees a transit date.    To maintain safe and efficient canal operations, the Panama Canal Authority may, under Notice to Shipping N-07, temporarily suspend all, or part of the Transit Reservation System, when necessary. In such cases, if a reserved transit slot is canceled, the vessel will not be charged any penalty, surcharge, or cancellation fee.      Moreover, based on the current level of water in Gatun Lake and the latest weather projections, the Panama Canal will postpone until September 2, 2026, the maximum authorized draft of 14.63 meters (48.0 feet) TFW in the Neopanamax Locks, scheduled to become effective on August 26, 2026.  And the maximum authorized draft adjustment of 14.48 meters (47.5 feet) TFW, scheduled to become effective on September 3, 2026, will be postponed until October 1, 2026.

The Panama Canal will continue to closely monitor weather conditions, watershed inflows, and lake levels. Should additional operational adjustments become necessary, the canal will provide customers with timely updates.   Because weather conditions are changing more rapidly than originally anticipated, the Panama Canal will make every reasonable effort to announce any future adjustments as far in advance as possible. However, the timing of such announcements will depend on evolving conditions and the availability of updated information.