What Panama’s canal figures reveal about water and trade
The canal authority’s annual report connects shipping activity with the freshwater needed to run the locks.
The Panama Canal Authority's fiscal 2025 report tracks the ships that used the route and the water available to operate it. The canal's locks raise vessels to the level of Gatún Lake and lower them again on the other side of the isthmus.
Rainfall and reservoir levels shape how many crossings the authority can accommodate. For shipping lines, the operating limits determine how much cargo a vessel can carry and when it can book a passage. Those limits can matter even to traders far from Panama.