Summary
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The Panama Canal Authority has tightened restrictions as rainfall stays short. The Neopanamax maximum draft fell to 47.5 ft on Sep 3 (after 48 ft on Aug 26), and daily transit slots drop from 34 (Sep 4) to 32 (Sep 15). MSC, CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd have each added Panama surcharges of $100-$320/TEU on East and Gulf Coast cargo. Shippers face longer lead times and higher costs on the critical US-Asia corridor.