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.
A legal expert helps break down why Tesla shareholders are voting on Elon Musk’s historic pay deal – and why betting against Musk usually doesn’t pay off.
Chair Jerome Powell says the Federal Reserve only expects to cut rates once in 2024. But at least, as one economist says, ‘rate hikes are off the table.’
With the Fed likely set to leave rates unchanged, lower and middle income Americans will continue dealing with higher credit card interest and expenses.
