MEXICO CITY: The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) said on Friday that waiting times to transit through the waterway are currently nine to 11 days due to restrictions imposed amid a prolonged drought.
The canal’s operators are restricting the passage of ships because of the low water levels, said the German news agency (dpa).
On both sides of the major shipping artery, 126 freighters are facing queues while they wait to pass — a backlog that is about 40 per cent higher than usual.
In June, the transit time was about two and a half days. In July, it rose to five days. Now, some cargo ships may wait up to 18 days to pass through, according to ACP statistics.
The Panama Canal is one of the most important waterways in the world. It connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans by cutting across Central America.
The canal, which begins in Colón in the north and ends near Panama City in the south, is about 80 kilometres long.
About 14,000 ships travel through the Panama Canal every year, accounting for about 6 per cent of world trade.
The waterway has three lock systems through which the ships are raised to the level of Gatun Lake, a large artificial reservoir 28 metres above sea level, and later lowered again.
As less rain falls in the region and temperatures rise, the Gatun Lake water level drops, which has affected navigability. – BERNAMA-dpa
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