Vessels transiting through the Panama Canal have are now experiencing up to 10 day delays as the industry struggles to understand the cause and find a solution to the deteriorating conditions. According to the Journal of Commerce, adverse weather conditions and repairs to the existing locks are contributing factors. What is certain is that carriers have begun to take more aggressive steps, such as canceling some sailings through the canal to try and reduce the backlog of vessels. The average transit time through the canal is 24 to 30 hours which means that current conditions must improve considerably before the situation returns to normal. Congestion started to build in mid-October. Currently, there are over 20 vessels awaiting transit through the canal.

Shapiro will continue to monitor canal conditions and will provide updates on continued delays and vessel cancellations.

Shapiro is also available to help customers design alternate routings.