Panama restrictions
PANAMA CITY: The Panama Canal will temporarily limit the size of ships using the waterway due to a drought caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon, authorities said on Friday. The Panama Canal Authority said the maximum ship draft will be cut to 39 feet from September 8, affecting 18.5 per cent of vessels that normally transit the link between Atlantic and Pacific oceans. A ship’s draft is its depth in the water, and changes as the vessel becomes heavier or lighter.