Talking Transportation 2023
Higher Prices, Longer Delays for Americans With Panama Canal’s Shortage of Water
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Global warming is affecting shipping through the Panama Canal, delaying U.S. imports of everything from new cars to fuel. Every ship traversing the canal between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans requires 50 million gallons of fresh water, drawn from two man-made lakes in the middle of the isthmus. But reduced rainfall there this year has made water levels in the lakes drop precipitously, meaning less water to feed the canal, let alone fresh water to the locals. That’s led to a 200-ship wait on both sides of the canal, delaying passage of goods. And the ships that are being allowed through, some booked a year in advance, can carry less cargo because their draught (how deep the ships ride in the water) has been reduced from a 50-foot depth to just 44 feet.