Panama Canal is running dry, so start prepping for empty shelves
Even during the rainy season, the world's most important shortcut is struggling to keep the water levels up.
The Panama Canal usually functions like a massive elevator, using fresh water from Lake Gatun to float ships over the jungle. But thanks to a particularly nasty El Niño, there just isn't enough rain to go around. To keep the taps running for actual human beings, officials are cutting the daily ship count by 11%.
It is getting so ridiculous that some desperate shipping companies are dropping $4 million just to jump to the front of the line. Imagine being stuck in traffic and paying a small fortune just to avoid waiting a few extra weeks for your sneakers to arrive.
The global supply chain is basically one giant, fragile house of cards, and now it is thirsty. When the main shortcut for global trade starts stalling, prices for everything from fuel to your basic medication don't just go up—they go on a rollercoaster.
It turns out that even the most advanced engineering on earth is no match for a cloud that refuses to rain.
Source: BBC
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