The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has reduced the amount and weight of vessels passing through based on current and projected water levels in Gatun Lake, Maersk said.
Maersk issued an advisory to customers using its northbound and southbound OC1 service, operating between Oceania and the Americas.
The vessels that utilized the Panama Canal before will now omit the Panama Canal and use a “land bridge” that utilize rail to transport cargo across the 80 km of Panama to the other side.
This creates two separate loops, one Atlantic and one Pacific. Pacific vessels will turn at Balboa, Panama, dropping off cargo heading for Latin America and North America and picking up cargo heading for Australia and New Zealand.
Atlantic vessels will turn at Manzanillo, Panama, dropping off cargo heading for Australia and New Zealand and picking up cargo heading for Latin and North America.
The Danish shipping line said there would be no delays to routes stopping in Philadelphia and Charleston on northbound vessels, whilst on southbound vessels customers may experience some delays.
As a result of the changes Maersk said the OC1 service would be omitting Cartagena, which it said would be served by alternate vessels.
“We will continue to operate the PANZ service from the US West Coast to Oceania to provide coverage from both coasts. Additionally, we will connect ports in the Gulf to the OC1 service in similar ways to today,” Maersk added.
