On 28 September 2026, the Panama Canal Authority announced through an Advisory to Shipping that Neopanamax maximum authorized draft rises immediately to 14.94 metres (49.0 feet Tropical Fresh Water) until further notice. The Canal attributed the step to precipitation close to historical averages on the watershed and to water-saving measures at the locks. The prior Neopanamax draft had been cut to 48 feet, and an earlier plan to go to 47.5 feet on 1 October had already been cancelled.
Separately, daily Neopanamax capacity will increase from nine to 10 transits beginning 15 October 2026, bringing total daily slots across the Neopanamax and Panamax locks to 33. The Authority tied the schedule to present and projected Gatun Lake levels.
Officials cautioned that a water deficit continues in the Canal watershed. The Transit Reservation (Booking) System remains the only way to guarantee a transit date; vessels without a reservation may face indefinite delays. The Canal said it will keep monitoring rainfall and lake levels and will communicate further adjustments as conditions allow.
For importers moving China-origin cargo to the U.S. East Coast or Gulf after China’s Golden Week reopen, the practical read is modest relief on draft-limited loadings and one more daily Neopanamax window from mid-October—still contingent on securing a reservation and confirming how each carrier prices and schedules Panama versus alternative routings.