Panama Canal Live: Status, Map and Shipping News

Updated 09:34 UTC · 29 Oct 2026

MonitorWorld's chokepoint model rates the Panama Canal GREEN (normal) with a disruption score of 0/100 as of 09:34 UTC; main driver: Threat baseline last reviewed > 120 days ago: review recommended. Unlike Suez, the Panama Canal's main risk is water, not war: its locks run on fresh water from Gatun Lake, and droughts force the canal to cut transits and ship drafts.

GREEN

Status (our chokepoint model)

as of 09:34 UTC

0/100

Disruption score

as of 09:34 UTC

Media reports, past 3 days

as of 09:34 UTC

82 km

Length, ocean to ocean

locks lift ships 26 m

[ fig. 1 ] PANAMA CANALStatus greenMain route (approx.)Conflict events (UCDP)

09:34 UTC · no aircraft plottedTap a point for details · pinch or ctrl + scroll to zoomTrack this live in the app ›

Panama Canal news: latest reports

No matching media reports in the past 3 days.

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Key context

Why water decides traffic

Each transit through the original locks uses about 200 million litres of fresh water from Gatun Lake, which is flushed out to sea. In the 2023-24 drought, one of the driest in the canal's history, the Panama Canal Authority cut daily transits from about 36 to as few as 22 and limited ship drafts, creating queues and auction prices of millions of dollars for a slot. Rain in 2024 restored normal operations.

The newer Neopanamax locks, opened in 2016, reuse part of their water in basins and take ships up to about 366 m long.

Who controls the canal

The US built the canal, opened it in 1914, and handed it to Panama on 31 December 1999 under the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, which also guarantee the canal's permanent neutrality. The autonomous Panama Canal Authority runs it. In 2025 the US government pressed Panama over Chinese-linked port operators near the canal; Panama says it alone controls the waterway.

All 13 chokepoints right now

Chokepoint	Status	Score
Suez Canal	YELLOW	30
Strait of Malacca	GREEN	0
Strait of Hormuz	RED	70
Bab el-Mandeb	YELLOW	40
Panama Canal	GREEN	0
Taiwan Strait	YELLOW	20
Cape of Good Hope	GREEN	15
Strait of Gibraltar	GREEN	15
Bosporus Strait	YELLOW	30
Korea Strait	GREEN	0
Dover Strait	GREEN	15
Kerch Strait	RED	70
Lombok Strait	GREEN	0

Questions and answers

Is the Panama Canal open?

Yes. Our model rates it GREEN (normal) today. Check the Panama Canal Authority's advisories for draft limits and daily transit slots, which change with Gatun Lake's water level.

Why were Panama Canal transits restricted?

Because of drought. The locks need fresh water from Gatun Lake; when the lake fell to record lows in 2023-24, the canal authority cut daily transits and maximum drafts until the rains returned.

How long does it take to cross the Panama Canal?

The crossing itself takes about 8 to 10 hours. Waiting time before a slot can add hours or, in a drought, days.

Who controls the Panama Canal?

Panama. The US handed over the canal on 31 December 1999, and the Panama Canal Authority runs it under a treaty that keeps it permanently neutral and open to ships of all nations.

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Sources

MonitorWorld chokepoint model: status (green / yellow / red) and a 0-100 disruption score from a threat baseline, navigational warnings and AIS disruption signals. A risk rating, not an official notice.
The GDELT Project (DOC 2.0 API): media reports, matched by keyword. Headlines link to the publisher; MonitorWorld does not verify them.
MonitorWorld news digest: headlines from public news feeds (Reuters, AP, BBC, Al Jazeera and others), severity rated by our model. Each headline links to the publisher.
UCDP Candidate Events Dataset: Uppsala Conflict Data Program, CC BY 4.0. Candidate (preliminary) events to 30 Sep 2026, not live. Fatalities are UCDP best / low / high estimates.
U.S. Energy Information Administration: oil flow and bypass pipeline figures for the Strait of Hormuz.

Page built 09:34 UTC, 2026-10-29. Full list: data sources and method.