Canal raises draft to 49 feet and daily slots to 33

If you track import costs, shipping delays, or how Gatún water levels ripple into Panama's economy, Monday's Canal notice matters more than another "drought still here" headline.

On 28 September 2026, the Autoridad del Canal de Panamá (ACP) issued a shipping advisory (widely cited as A-36-2026) with two linked moves. With immediate effect and until further notice, the maximum authorized draft for ships using the Neopanamax locks rises to 14.94 meters (49.0 feet). Separately, from 15 October 2026, daily transit capacity rises to 33 slots: 10 Neopanamax (up from nine) and 23 Panamax. ACP published the change on its site; Destino Panamá and Infobae carried the operational detail.

What changed

Earlier this dry season, ACP had been holding about 32 daily transits and a 48-foot draft ceiling. Monday's notice is an easing: one extra foot of Neopanamax draft now, and one extra daily Neopanamax slot from mid-October. Infobae notes the prior 48-foot ceiling and that a cut toward 47.5 feet had been in the water-saving path before rains improved the outlook.

ACP ties the decision to September rains near basin average, recovery in Lake Gatún levels, and water-saving practices in the locks. Destino sketches the stepped cuts since July (50 → 49.5 → 49 → 48.5 → 48 feet, with Neopanamax slots cut to nine on 3 September). That staircase is why "back to 49" is news.

What did not get fixed

ACP is explicit: the basin water deficit continues. The Transit Reservation System (booking) remains the only way to guarantee a transit date. Ships without a reservation can still face indefinite delays. Infobae adds that reservation limits per customer/day/week are eased for the new transit dates, with the new Neopanamax slot bookable from 1 October for dates from 15 October. More capacity is not a promise of walk-up transit.

Bottom line for expats: read this as a modest reopen of shipping capacity, not the end of El Niño water stress. Heavier Neopanamax loads and one extra daily slot can ease some supply-chain pressure into Q4, but Gatún can still force another cut. Watch ACP advisories, not social media rumor, before you assume import timelines are "back to normal."

Based on ACP notice (28 Sep 2026) plus Destino Panamá and Infobae.