# Panama Canal to Tighten Shipping Restrictions as El Niño Looms

> The Panama Canal Authority will cut daily transits from 36 to 34 vessels from September 4 and to 32 from September 15. Below-average rainfall and lower water levels are behind the cuts, which the authority says are needed to protect long-term canal operations. A severe El Niño is expected to persist into the dry season.

- Date: 2019-09-03 · published 2019-09-03T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region Panama · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/56999-panama-canal-to-tighten-shipping-restrictions-as-el-nino-looms
- Commodities: [Ocean Grain Freight](https://feedsoft.ai/c/OCEANFRT.md)

## Why it matters

Fewer daily transits lengthen queues and raise freight costs for grain and oilseed cargoes moving through the canal. This tightens shipping capacity and supports ocean freight rates.

## Read by commodity

- OCEANFRT: bullish ▲

## Sources

- wwd.com: https://wwd.com/sourcing-journal/logistics/panama-canal-slashes-daily-transits-el-nino-water-levels-draft-restrictions-1239146256/

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