Panama Canal slot and draft restrictions
The Panama Canal Authority cut booking slots on 20 August 2026, citing below-average rainfall. On 28 September it raised the Neopanamax draft and added a slot from 15 October; Panamax slots stay at 23 a day.
Research and sources by Gavin McGreevy; severities assessed by Alex Rowsom on 13 October 2026.
Exposure
Who this reaches
Each entry states how the disruption reaches that company or sector, how well established the assessment is, and where it comes from.
Advisory A-36-2026 guarantees full-container vessels at least 42 Neopanamax slots a week, and the deeper draft lets the largest ships load closer to capacity.
1.Advisory A-36-2026: Increase in the Number of Neopanamax Booking Slots, Draft Adjustment and Transit Reservation System — Panama Canal Authority, read 13 Oct 2026
The October increase applies to the Neopanamax locks only; Panamax slots stay at 23 a day, two fewer than in early September.
1.Advisory A-29-2026: Additional Measures to Address Reduced Precipitation in the Canal Watershed — Panama Canal Authority, read 13 Oct 2026
2.Advisory A-36-2026: Increase in the Number of Neopanamax Booking Slots, Draft Adjustment and Transit Reservation System — Panama Canal Authority, read 13 Oct 2026
Sources
Where this comes from
1.Advisory A-36-2026: Increase in the Number of Neopanamax Booking Slots, Draft Adjustment and Transit Reservation System — Panama Canal Authority, read 13 Oct 2026
2.Advisory A-29-2026: Additional Measures to Address Reduced Precipitation in the Canal Watershed — Panama Canal Authority, read 13 Oct 2026