# Panama Canal sets 49.5-foot draft limit from July 3, auction prices hit US$400,000 | Food Business Middle East & ...

> The Panama Canal Authority will cut the Neopanamax maximum draft to 49.5 feet from July 3 as a precaution tied to possible El Niño development. Transit slot auction prices have risen to about US$400,000, and the authority does not expect major disruption before December.

- Date: 2026-06-10 · published 2026-06-10T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region Panama · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/16850-panama-canal-sets-49-5-foot-draft-limit-from-july-3-auction-prices-hit-us-400
- Commodities: [Ocean Grain Freight](https://feedsoft.ai/c/OCEANFRT.md), [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md)

## Why it matters

Draft limits force partial loads and raise per-ton freight costs on Panama routes, which lifts US Gulf and grain export transport costs to Asia.

## Read by commodity

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

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2024-02-24 | [Weight of Freight: Panamax locks demand, auction prices jump \| Argus Media](https://feedsoft.ai/events/31558-weight-of-freight-panamax-locks-demand-auction-prices-jump-argus-media.md) | +0.5% | +7.8% |
| CORN | 2025-04-03 | [Marine sector provides food security for Ukraine - European Business Association](https://feedsoft.ai/events/14214-marine-sector-provides-food-security-for-ukraine-european-business-association.md) | +2.2% | +2.7% |
| CORN | 2023-11-09 | [Panama Canal crisis forces US farm exports to detour through Suez](https://feedsoft.ai/events/33062-panama-canal-crisis-forces-us-farm-exports-to-detour-through-suez.md) | -1.5% | -1.0% |
| CORN | 2023-06-22 | [Panama Canal further limits ship depth \| World Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/35378-panama-canal-further-limits-ship-depth-world-grain.md) | -8.7% | -14.9% |
| CORN | 2026-10-13 | [Freight costs limit relief from lower grain prices, Commo18 says \| Miller Magazine](https://feedsoft.ai/events/17248-freight-costs-limit-relief-from-lower-grain-prices-commo18-says-miller-magazine.md) | -2.0% | — |
| SOY | 2024-02-24 | [Weight of Freight: Panamax locks demand, auction prices jump \| Argus Media](https://feedsoft.ai/events/31558-weight-of-freight-panamax-locks-demand-auction-prices-jump-argus-media.md) | +0.9% | +5.3% |
| SOY | 2026-08-21 | [Panama Canal caps lock capacity, set to boost dry bulk ton-miles \| S&P Global](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16772-panama-canal-caps-lock-capacity-set-to-boost-dry-bulk-ton-miles-s-and-p-global.md) | +2.6% | +7.7% |
| SOY | 2023-08-21 | [Focus: Historic drought, hot seas slow Panama Canal shipping \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/34460-focus-historic-drought-hot-seas-slow-panama-canal-shipping-reuters.md) | +1.3% | -3.4% |

## Sources

- foodbusinessmea.com: https://www.foodbusinessmea.com/panama-canal-sets-49-5-foot-draft-limit-from-july-3-auction-prices-hit-us400000/

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