Panama Canal announces new increase in draft and daily transits

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) will increase the current number of daily transits from 32 to 33, effective July 11. Furthermore, this number will increase to 34 as of July 22, following the current and projected level of Gatun Lake for the coming weeks, and due to the arrival of the rainy season in the Panama Canal watershed.

Additionally, an increase in draft from 13.7 m to 14 m was announced, effective June 15.

Since May last year, the ACP has had to cut back daily transits on the waterway as the nation fought a massive drought – the worst on record.

The incoming new president of Panama has put water levels at the country’s canal as one of his most important items on his agenda. Jose Raul Mulino will take office for a five-year term from July.

Interviewed by Reuters last month, Mulino said he would try and get lawmakers to approve a law enabling the Panama Canal to build large water reservoirs to combat droughts.

The law, which would grant the waterway permission to operate on land needed for the reservoirs, would be the first approved under his administration, Mulino said.