By Shefali Kapadia
Visitors to the Panama Canal’s Miraflores Locks would have little indication something is amiss. The sun glistens on the water, which appears plentiful in the locks. Ships, carrying everything from containers to petroleum, await their turn. It’s an elegant dance — gates open, tugs pull the ship, water is pumped out and away the vessel goes.
It seems as if everything is normal, but shippers know that’s far from reality. The Panama Canal recently experienced some of its worst drought conditions in history. The canal reduced daily booking slots and maximum draft, leading shippers to face decisions on where and how to transport their cargo.
But things are turning a corner.
On March 18, the canal began to offer 26 booking slots daily, revised from the previous number of 24. Starting March 25, the canal started allowing 27 slots, a spokesperson for the Panama Canal said via email.
“Our efficient water saving measures have allowed us to increase the daily number of transits, while maintaining the 44-foot draft for the rest of the dry season,” the spokesperson said.
SHEFALI KAPADIA 