Panama Canal considering more cuts in transits due to El Nino

The new administrator of the Panama Canal, Ilya Espino de Marotta, has warned that further cuts to the number of ships transiting through the waterway may be necessary due to the drought caused by the strong El Nino weather pattern. Panama has already declared a nationwide emergency over the El Nino phenomenon, which is affecting global weather patterns and pushing up temperatures.

The canal, which handles 5% of global maritime trade, has already reduced the maximum number of ships allowed through daily, from 36 last month to 32 by mid-September. Espino de Marotta stated that further measures may be implemented if the drought does not subside, potentially reducing daily transits to around 29 slots. The canal's operation relies on rainwater collected in two reservoirs, whose levels have dropped due to the onset of El Nino, making it impossible for the locks to function without sufficient water.

Brief written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.