Panama Canal: queue & transit monitor

The Panama Canal has eased draft restrictions following September rainfall that improved watershed conditions after El Niño strengthening. On September 1, a supertanker paid a record $4.6 million to skip the queue, underscoring congestion severe enough to drive shippers toward Cape Horn alternatives. A new female administrator assumed operational control September 8, while Panama acquired full ownership of its cross-country oil pipeline September 3. Neopanamax transits will increase to ten daily starting October 15, per press reports. Congestion continues easing as of October 2, with port congestion immobilizing twelve percent of global container capacity overall. ChartNav's monitor recorded one transit in the past 24 hours against a median of two; AIS coverage at 0.80 limits precision.