# Panama Canal Live: Status, Map and Shipping News Updated 10:28 UTC, 29 Oct 2026. Canonical: https://monitorworld.app/live/panama-canal MonitorWorld's chokepoint model rates the Panama Canal **GREEN (normal)** with a disruption score of 0/100 as of 10:28 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. ## Key numbers - Status (our chokepoint model): **GREEN** - Disruption score: **0/100** - Media reports, past 3 days: **0** - Length, ocean to ocean: **82 km** (locks lift ships 26 m) ## Panama Canal news: latest reports No matching media reports in the past 3 days. ## 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. In 2026 an El Niño again lowered Gatun Lake. From 1 July the canal authority cut the maximum draft in the Neopanamax locks in steps, and in September it also removed some daily slots. After near-average rain it eased the limits: as of 28 September 2026 the Neopanamax draft was back to 49 feet, and total daily transits rise to 33 from 15 October (reported by [Maritime Executive](https://maritime-executive.com/article/panama-canal-eases-restrictions-adding-transit-slot-and-maximum-draft), 28 September 2026). 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. On 29 January 2026 Panama's Supreme Court ruled the CK Hutchison (Panama Ports Company) concession for the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals unconstitutional, and in February 2026 the state took over the terminals and gave them to interim operators (reported by [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/30/panama-court-rules-chinese-control-of-canal-ports-unconstitutional) and [Maritime Executive](https://maritime-executive.com/article/panama-occupies-hutchison-s-terminals-after-court-publishes-decision)). ### 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 | ## FAQ ### 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. In 2026 an El Niño led to new draft cuts from July and fewer slots in September; as of late September 2026 the authority had eased them again (reported by Maritime Executive, 28 September 2026). ### 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. ## Get the app MonitorWorld is free on iPhone and Android, rated 4.7 from 52 ratings on the US App Store. - App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6760610225 - Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.monitorworld ## Sources - [MonitorWorld chokepoint model](https://monitorworld.app/sources): 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)](https://www.gdeltproject.org/): media reports, matched by keyword. Headlines link to the publisher; MonitorWorld does not verify them. - [MonitorWorld news digest](https://monitorworld.app/sources): 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](https://ucdp.uu.se/): 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](https://www.eia.gov/international/analysis/special-topics/World_Oil_Transit_Chokepoints): oil flow and bypass pipeline figures for the Strait of Hormuz. ## Related - [Strait of Hormuz map](https://monitorworld.app/live/strait-of-hormuz): Chokepoint status, media reports and key facts. - [Bab el-Mandeb Strait](https://monitorworld.app/live/bab-el-mandeb): Red Sea gate: Houthi attacks and shipping status. - [Suez Canal live](https://monitorworld.app/live/suez-canal): Canal status, the Red Sea diversion and shipping news. - [Taiwan Strait map](https://monitorworld.app/live/taiwan-strait): China drills, delayed military aircraft and news. - [Live war map](https://monitorworld.app/live): Every layer on one map: conflicts, aircraft, quakes, chokepoints. - [Current wars](https://monitorworld.app/current-wars): Every country with recorded armed-conflict events, with UCDP estimates.