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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Mark Saunokonoko with Agence France-Presse

Panama canal traffic facing further cuts as drought from El Niño worsens

A container ship transits the Panama canal through a forested waterway, followed by a tugboat
A Liberian-flagged container ship transits the Panama canal. A lack of rainfall linked to El Niño has affected the water levels in the canal, resulting in officials reducing daily vessel traffic. Photograph: Enea Lebrun/Reuters

The Panama canal plans to again cut maritime traffic due to worsening drought caused by the El Niño climate phenomenon, further choking up one of the world’s most important shipping lanes.

The canal handles 5% of global maritime trade and about 40% of US container traffic; it is favoured by shippers because it usually reduces cost and transit times, especially for companies trading between China, Asia and the US.

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