Without enough water to raise and lower ships, officials last summer had to slash the number of vessels they allowed through, creating expensive headaches for shipping companies worldwide.
A severe drought in the Panama Canal is exacerbating the already strained situation the global shipping industry and supply chains are facing because of the Red Sea crisis
The Panama Canal drought causes severe shipping delays from Asia to the U.S. East Coast, particularly for heavy goods. Carriers are rerouting from trans-Pacific to trans-Atlantic via the Suez Canal,
After the drought made the canal shallower, ships now have to lighten their loads. The result is fewer containers making the crossing per day, heightening the chance that many goods wont make it to their destinations in time for Christmas.