Panama Canal
3ElevatedTransit data to 28 Aug · IMF PortWatch derived, lags a few days
88% of baseline
28 a day against a 12-month average of 32
−1.0%
7-day average 28 transits/day, down 12% vs the trailing 12-month average. Source: IMF PortWatch, data to 2026-08-28.
Compare two weeks
53 weeks held31.7 transits/day in the week to 2025-08-29 (99% of baseline), against 28 in the week to 2026-08-28 (88% of baseline) — down 11.7%.
Seven-day averages, sampled weekly, from IMF PortWatch's published daily series, 2025-08-29 to 2026-08-28. One baseline across every week, so a share moves for one reason only. Reconstructed from the published record, not an archive this product watched accumulate.
Disrupted for 8 days, since 2026-08-21, running 14% below baseline on average.
2 disruption episodes in the last 12 months; the current one began 2026-08-21 and has run 8 days.
14% below baseline on average, with a trough of 25 transits a day.
18% below baseline on average, with a trough of 23 transits a day.
The isthmus shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific, moving containers, LPG, LNG, and grain between the US Gulf and Asia. Water levels set capacity: drought cuts daily slots, and scarcity prices as auction premiums and longer routings, not stranded cargo.
Daily transit slots and Gatun Lake water levels, the binding constraint.
Slot auction premiums, the cleanest price of scarcity.
LPG and LNG freight rates on US Gulf to Asia routes, the most exposed flows.