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Panama Canal slashes daily slots to 32: freight rates set to surge

The Panama Canal Authority cuts daily transits to 32 vessels from mid-September amid worsening drought conditions.

Weihong Nguyen
FP editor, expert in Africa and Asian ports
22 Aug 2026 · 09:15 · hace 18 días
2 min read · PANAMA CANAL
Fotografía — Weihong Nguyen / InfoPuertos
— Las claves
Daily booking capacity reduced to 32 ships from mid-September.
Neopanamax slots drop to 9 per day, panamax to 23.
Clarksons forecasts VLGC rates to hit $81,250 a day in 2026.
Draft restrictions delayed but still loom for September and October.

The Panama Canal Authority will reduce its daily booking capacity to 32 ships starting in mid-September due to worsening rainfall deficits linked to El Niño. The measures aim to conserve water as precipitation levels remain below expectations despite the rainy season. From September 4, the canal will offer nine neopanamax slots and 25 panamax slots per day. On September 15, panamax availability will decrease further to 23 slots, lowering the total daily capacity. These adjustments follow earlier restrictions, including draft limitations imposed in June for the first time in nearly…

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  1. My account Saved stories, newsletters and alerts
  2. Maritime AI The engine behind our analysis
FP Live

Market data

  1. Port ranking China leads · 2026Q03 2,416
  2. Chokepoints Korea Strait busiest +51.6%
  3. Disruptions red alerts active 2
  4. Ports live Shanghai tops calls 393
  5. Stocks 36 of 54 higher +0.56%

Updated 16:16 Data via CAMAL AI

PORTS EXCLUSIVA 22/08/2026 FPPLUS

Panama Canal slashes daily slots to 32: freight rates set to surge

The Panama Canal Authority cuts daily transits to 32 vessels from mid-September amid worsening drought conditions.

Weihong Nguyen
FP editor, expert in Africa and Asian ports 22 Aug 2026 · 09:15 · hace 18 días
2 min read PANAMA CANAL
ACTUALIZADO 22/08/2026 · 20:59
The Panama Canal Authority

The Panama Canal Authority · Fotografía: Andrés Gutiérrez para InfoPuertos

The Panama Canal Authority will reduce its daily booking capacity to 32 ships starting in mid-September due to worsening rainfall deficits linked to El Niño. The measures aim to conserve water as precipitation levels remain below expectations despite the rainy season. From September 4, the canal will offer nine neopanamax slots and 25 panamax slots per day. On September 15, panamax availability will decrease further to 23 slots, lowering the total daily capacity. These adjustments follow earlier restrictions, including draft limitations imposed in June for the first time in nearly…

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This story is part of FP Plus, the exclusive supplement of Financial Ports. Creating an account is free — and it unlocks CAMAL AI too.

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CAMAL AI
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Related stories

CAMAL AI CAMAL AI
AI Ocean Forwarders: The 6-Second Quote Race That Will Sink the Slow Aryan Kumar Panama seizes $191.7m oil corridor to bypass its own canal Aryan Kumar Suez Canal Traffic Rebounds as Shippers Ditch Cape of Good Hope FP
Financial Ports Newsletter Financial Ports Newsletter The maritime economy, every morning Ports, shipping and freight markets in one short email. Free.
Temas del artículo
El Nino freight rates Panama Canal shipping restrictions vlgc
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