Panama Canal's Neopanamax Locks Operating with a Reduced Draft - teleSUR English
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On Friday, the Panama Canal's Neopanamax locks, in service since June 2016, began operating with a reduced draft of 49.5 feet as a preventative measure

This is a standard measure during the dry season, which runs from December to April.

On Friday, the Panama Canal’s Neopanamax locks, in service since June 2016, began operating with a reduced draft of 49.5 feet as a preventative measure against a strong El Niño phenomenon that could last until 2027.

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The draft, which corresponds to the submerged portion of the ship, has a typical maximum of 50 feet. The Canal Authority clarified that this adjustment does not change the number of daily transits and affects less than 1.7% of Neopanamax vessels.

The reduction means that ships must transit with less cargo, which may generate logistical changes for customers and impact Canal revenues, which are calculated based on tonnage transported.

The decision was based on the current and projected levels of Lake Gatun (1913) and Lake Alhajuela (1935), which supply fresh water to the Panama Canal and more than half of Panama’s 4 million inhabitants.

The rolling gates used in the Panama Canal Expansion traveled more than 8,000 nautical miles from Italy to Panama before becoming part of the Neopanamax locks. Built in Italy and transported across the Atlantic on specialized heavy-lift vessels, these massive gates were among the… pic.twitter.com/etrHTKLYUf

— The Panama Canal (@thepanamacanal) July 3, 2026

This is a standard measure during the dry season, which runs from December to April, although this year it was delayed due to an “unusually wet” summer in 2026.

In 2023, Panama suffered a prolonged drought exacerbated by El Niño, which forced a reduction in draft to 44 feet and a decrease in daily transits to 22, compared to the usual 35 or 36, a measure that remained in place for a year.

The Panama Canal, the world’s only freshwater canal through which 3% to 5% of global trade passes, thus faces a new challenge in water resource management, crucial for its operation and for the Panamanian economy.

#FromTheSouth News Bits | Thousands of people marched in Panama to express their opposition to government plans related to mining and environmental pollution. pic.twitter.com/BrPNHK8pJt

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) June 8, 2026

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Source: EFE

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