Panama Canal: Traffic starts to recover!
Panama Canal: Traffic starts to recover!
Since May 2023, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has decided to cut the daily transit volume.
Persistent dry mornings, coupled with the El Nino weather phenomenon, have led to a large number of merchant fleets worldwide deciding to avoid the waterway due to congestion and high tolls.shipping agent
However, according to March 2024 traffic data, the number of ships passing through the Panama Canal increased month-on-month for the first time since July 2023. Traffic is improving, but recovery is a long way off.door to door service
The ACP said that after a year of reduced draft and transit volume due to early dry season, the dry season is now coming to an end and transshipment will return to normal next year.FCL container shipping
Based on current and projected water levels in Gatun Lake, the Panama Canal added additional shipping slots in March, bringing the total number of crossings per day to 27, a significant increase from the originally feared 18 crossings per day.
The ACP claimed that there were no long lines of vessels, that the number of vessels waiting outside the canal was comparable to what would be expected during the daily transit period, and that most vessels had reservations and often arrived early, adding that the vessels usually refueled or resupplied before crossing.
Current forecasts suggest steady rain will arrive in late April and continue for several months.
If that is the case, the canal plans to gradually ease access restrictions, fully returning to normal by 2025, with daily passes increasing to 36.
The ACP denied claims that ships had to wait long to pass through the canal.
They say that more than 75 percent of the ships waiting have been booked in advance and will cross the border on the specified date, with very little or no waiting time.
According to the data, the average waiting time for ships without reservations this year was just under 2.5 days, well below the 3.6 days from January to March last year and the 3.8 days for the same period in 2022.