# Panama Canal Growth Faces El Niño Shipping Risks - RFD-TV

> Panama Canal transits rose 5.2% through June with 35 daily transits on average in the first nine months of fiscal 2026. Officials put the probability of severe El Niño at 81%, with possible draft restrictions and fewer daily booking slots.

- Date: 2026-07-28 · published 2026-07-28T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: weather · region Panama · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/16803-panama-canal-growth-faces-el-nino-shipping-risks-rfd-tv
- Commodities: [Sorghum](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SORGHUM.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md), [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Ocean Grain Freight](https://feedsoft.ai/c/OCEANFRT.md)

## Why it matters

The canal carries about 90% of US sorghum exports and a large share of soybeans and corn, so possible El Niño restrictions raise freight costs and threaten Gulf export demand.

## Read by commodity

- SOY: bearish ▼
- CORN: bearish ▼
- SORGHUM: bearish ▼
- OCEANFRT: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| SOY | 2023-11-06 | [Global ag trade faces disruption due to Panama Canal limits](https://feedsoft.ai/events/33066-global-ag-trade-faces-disruption-due-to-panama-canal-limits.md) | +0.5% | -1.6% |
| SOY | 2024-03-29 | [Mississippi River shipping faces potential crisis for third straight year](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16557-mississippi-river-shipping-faces-potential-crisis-for-third-straight-year.md) | -0.5% | -2.7% |
| SOY | 2025-04-10 | [Persistent Panama Canal Drought Prompts Continued Shipping Diversions into 2025 - Ports Directory](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16953-persistent-panama-canal-drought-prompts-continued-shipping-diversions-into-2025.md) | +2.6% | +2.4% |
| SOY | 2019-04-01 | [March 2019 El Niño Update: Think spring](https://feedsoft.ai/events/60008-march-2019-el-nino-update-think-spring.md) | +1.7% | -4.2% |
| SOY | 2025-12-15 | [Soymeal Futures Slide as South America Planting Points to Large Crop - RFD-TV](https://feedsoft.ai/events/21580-soymeal-futures-slide-as-south-america-planting-points-to-large-crop-rfd-tv.md) | -2.6% | -5.0% |
| CORN | 2023-11-06 | [Global ag trade faces disruption due to Panama Canal limits](https://feedsoft.ai/events/33066-global-ag-trade-faces-disruption-due-to-panama-canal-limits.md) | -0.5% | -0.9% |
| CORN | 2025-04-10 | [Persistent Panama Canal Drought Prompts Continued Shipping Diversions into 2025 - Ports Directory](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16953-persistent-panama-canal-drought-prompts-continued-shipping-diversions-into-2025.md) | +3.1% | -3.3% |
| CORN | 2019-04-01 | [March 2019 El Niño Update: Think spring](https://feedsoft.ai/events/60008-march-2019-el-nino-update-think-spring.md) | +0.2% | -2.9% |

## Sources

- rfdtv.com: https://www.rfdtv.com/panama-canal-growth-faces-el-nino-shipping-risks

---
Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.