<h3 data-path-to-node="3"><b data-path-to-node="3" data-index-in-node="0">PANAMA CITY</b> — <b data-path-to-node="3" data-index-in-node="14">Panama Canal Authority Discloses Strong Third-Quarter Traffic Recovery While Stepping Up Water Conservation Protocols for Weather Shifts</b></h3><p data-path-to-node="4">The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) released its operational performance figures for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026, reporting a healthy rebound in total vessel transits and aggregate cargo tonnage. Driven by steady seasonal rainfall that replenished the vital Gatun and Alajuela lakes, the vital interoceanic gateway handled increased daily transits, offering significant relief to global deep-sea container lines and bulk operators following quarters of severe climate-induced draft restrictions.</p><p data-path-to-node="5">However, even as current throughput metrics show stable growth, canal administrators have issued an advisory regarding incoming weather patterns, implementing proactive water-saving measures to safeguard long-term transit reliability.</p><h4 data-path-to-node="6"><b data-path-to-node="6" data-index-in-node="0">Q3 Volume Performance &amp; Operational Adjustments</b></h4><ol start="1" data-path-to-node="7"><li><p data-path-to-node="7,0,0"><b data-path-to-node="7,0,0" data-index-in-node="0">Tonnage and Transit Growth:</b> Total cargo tonnage processed through the canal increased by 7.2% compared to the previous quarter, while daily vessel transits rose to an average of 34 slots per day, up from lows seen during prior drought restrictions.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="7,1,0"><b data-path-to-node="7,1,0" data-index-in-node="0">Draft Allowances Maintained:</b> Stabilized reservoir levels allowed technical clearance teams to maintain safe transit draft allowances for Neo-Panamax and Panamax locks, reducing the need for heavy container weight shedding by major shipping consortia.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="7,2,0"><b data-path-to-node="7,2,0" data-index-in-node="0">Slot Allocation Transparency:</b> The ACP continues to utilize its advanced digital slot-booking auction system, which has successfully mitigated queue congestion and minimized anchor dwell times for scheduled liner services.</p></li></ol><h4 data-path-to-node="8"><b data-path-to-node="8" data-index-in-node="0">Preparing for Potential El Niño Impacts</b></h4><p data-path-to-node="9">Despite the positive Q3 performance, meteorological models project an 81% probability of an incoming severe El Niño climate cycle in the tropical Pacific basin during the late autumn and winter seasons. Such conditions typically bring prolonged dry spells and reduced precipitation to the Panama watershed, threatening water levels in the canal's artificial lakes.</p><p data-path-to-node="10">Speaking on the operational outlook, Panama Canal Administrator Ricaurte Vásquez Morales emphasized the necessity of disciplined resource management:</p><p data-path-to-node="11">"While our third-quarter numbers reflect a strong operational recovery and provide smooth transit for global supply chains, we are acutely aware of climatic vulnerabilities," stated Vásquez Morales. "We are maintaining strict water-saving protocols, optimizing lock usage efficiency through water-reusing basins, and closely monitoring watershed indicators. Our priority is ensuring predictable, long-term transit capacity without taking our water security for granted."</p><p data-path-to-node="12">Global shipping lines and logistics procurement desks have welcomed the transparent communications from the ACP, integrating the potential weather contingencies into their late-year inventory routing schedules.</p>