The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) announced an increase to 45 feet (about 13.71 meters) of the maximum draft authorized for vessels in the Neopanamax locks of the sea route, from the 44 feet allowed until now, before the arrival of the canal season. rains.
The Central American canal, through which around 5% of global trade transits, has imposed various traffic restrictions since 2023including the reduction of the draft allowed to ships and a reduction in the maximum number of ships authorized to traverse it.
“The arrival of the rainy season in the Canal basin has prompted the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) to advance the date of implementation of the maximum authorized draft (…) whose entry into force is scheduled for December 15. June 2024,” the body that manages the maritime passage said in a statement.
