The Panama Canal will resume normal traffic in August, but it still faces water shortages

According to Agence France Presse, after implementing traffic restrictions due to severe drought last year, the Panama Canal Authority recently announced that the canal will resume normal traffic from August due to the arrival of the rainy season. Starting from July 11th, the maximum draft of ships passing through the Panama Canal will be increased to 14.6 meters; Starting from August 5th, the daily limit for the number of vessels passing through will increase from the current 32 to 35. Normally, under ideal conditions, the Panama Canal allows an average of 35 to 36 ships to pass through each day. However, the seasonal drought in 2023 will last longer than in previous years and will be exacerbated by the El Ni ñ o phenomenon, forcing the canal management department to continuously reduce the number of ships passing through.