Panama Canal Increases Daily Transits to 33 and Maximum Draft to 49 Feet.

The Panama Canal will increase its transit capacity and allow for a greater draft for ships using the Neopanamax locks, following the recovery of Gatun Lake levels and the rains recorded in September.  The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) announced on Monday, September 28, that it will increase the number of daily transit slots from 32 to 33. The tenth daily slot for Neopanamax vessels will be available starting October 15, 2026, according to Navigation Notice No. A-36-2026.  In addition, the maximum authorized draft for vessels transiting the Neopanamax locks will increase to 14.94 meters (from 48 to 49 feet).

Ship Above Transporting Liquefied Petroleum Gas.

This measure takes effect immediately.  The new operating conditions were attributed to the rainfall levels recorded during September in the watershed, along with the implementation of water-saving measures at the locks and projections on the behavior of the Gatun lake level.  The notice was sent on September 28 to shipping agents, owners and operators of vessels.  Among the new operational facilities, the Canal administration eliminated the restriction that limited the number of slots per customer per date or week and enabled the option to book consecutive dates. 

This is How Reservations will Work.

General Distribution of Daily Quotas (33 in total).

1

Neopanamax (10 daily slots): 9 assigned in previous reservation periods and 1 per daily auction.

2

Panamax – Supers (18 daily slots): 17 for reservation periods and 1 per daily auction.

3

Panamax – Regulars (5 daily slots): 4 per reservation period and 1 per daily auction.

Key Booking Rules.

1

No limits per customer: The restriction on the number of slots a customer can claim per date or week is eliminated.

2

Consecutive dates: Reservations are authorized for consecutive days.

3

Redistribution due to lack of demand: If a segment does not consume its quotas in the competition, these are offered to the other segments under a defined substitution hierarchy.

4

Auction exclusion: Quotas won in auction do not count towards segment limits.