The managers of the Panama Canal said they expect income from the waterway to drop after authorities were forced to limit the number of ships passing through each to 32 due to a lack of rainfall.
Ricaurte Vásquez, the canal’s administrator, said Thursday that income in 2024 could drop by as much as $200 million because of the drought.
The canal implemented a measure Sunday capping the number of ships passing through its locks daily to a maximum of 32, compared to 36 to 38 under normal operation.
Not enough rain has fallen to feed the watershed system of rivers and brooks that fill lakes, whose waters in turn fill the locks.
The watershed also supplies freshwater to Panama City, home to about half the country’s population of 4 million.
The canal had expected to earn about $4.9 billion in fees next year before the measures were announced.
It's a tough time for the job market. Amid wider economic uncertainty, some analysts have said that businesses are at a “no-hire, no fire” standstill. At the same time, some sizeable layoffs have continued to pile up — raising worker anxieties across sectors. Some companies have pointed to rising operational costs due to U.S.'s new tariffs, while others have redirected money to artificial intelligence investments. Workers in the public sector have also been hit hard. Federal jobs were cut by the thousands earlier this year. And many workers are now going without pay as the U.S. government shutdown has now dragged on for more than a month.
Nvidia smashes earnings with record-breaking revenue and soaring Blackwell demand as shares slip this morning, Barron’s senior writer Adam Levine unpacks it all
Jeff Wagoner, CEO of Outrigger Hospitality Group, discusses the company’s coral preservation initiatives and sustainable practices at their hotels and resorts.
Dena Jalbert, Head of M&A at Align Advisory, discusses the state of mergers and acquisitions in 2025 and beyond, highlighting key trends and opportunities.
