Panama Canal backlogs threatens iPhone and other gadget deliveries in time for Christmas

Panama Canal backlogs threatens iPhone and other gadget deliveries in time for Christmas Ships carrying items vital for the festive season are waiting one or two weeks By Emily Jane Davies Published: 02:43 EST, 10 December 2023 | Updated: 04:19 EST, 10 December 2023 e-mail 145 View comments Parents hoping to buy their children an iPhone for Christmas could be left scrambling for a replacement gift as shipping delays threaten deliveries. The Panama Canal is suffering from low water levels, meaning the massive container shops carrying presents are experiencing weeks of delays. Ships carrying items vital for the festive season are waiting one or two weeks in the queue instead of the usual eight to ten hours.

This means shoppers waiting on Apple’s new iPhones, TVs, exercise bikes, clothes and tree lights to arrive might not receive them in time for Christmas Day. Experts have warned that the disruptions at the canal are likely to remain in place for ‘some time to come’, with some fearing the restrictions could continue into 2025. A bulk carrier travels along the Panama Canal through Cocoli Locks on April 19 Low water levels outside the Miraflores locks of the Panama Canal on November 3 A container ship is seen near the Panama Canal last week amid concerns for shipping A live tracker shows the crowd of container ships trying to get through the canal today Shipping vessels were seen queuing off of the Panama Canal on Monday (pictured) Around 176 ships from China and the Middle East crossed the 50-mile Panama Canal this week, which is 71 fewer than last year, according to Marine Traffic.

Some ships are rerouting through the Suez Canal to avoid the delays, such as London-based Slot-Nielsen, but is charging customers for the additional cost of the longer route. One Christmas shopper told the Sunday Mirror: ‘I’ve been saving all year to get my daughter an iPhone 15. Just my luck’ while another added: ‘There will be mayhem’.

Marco Forgione, from the Institute of Export and International Trade, called the delays ‘catastrophic’. He told the Sunday Mirror: ‘There are supplied that just won’t be here in time for Christmas. ‘ Congestion in the canal could have a wider impact across the global supply chain –with experts also warning that Christmas in the UK and Europe could be impacted.

The cost of food and energy prices could also rise because grains and fuels are among other major supplies transported through the canal now experiencing delays. A container ship travels along the Panama Canal on August 11 this year Some ships are rerouting through the Suez Canal and other routes to avoid the delays Some companies have paid as much as $4 million (£3 million) to move to the front of the queue and bypass wait times, Fox News reported. This is compared to an average auction price of about $173,000 (£137,000) just one year ago.

The average wait time in the queue has risen from 4. 3 days on November 7 to 11. 7 this month, Panama Canal Authority data revealed.

READ MORE – Cargo ships face weeks-long wait – with goods heading to Europe from Asia and US west coast caught in backlog Advertisement Before the vital shipping route experienced delays, some 38 ships passed through each day. A total of more than 14,000 ships crossed the canal in 2022. But with limited water to maintain the freshwater lock system, only 24 ships have been able to cross through each day since November 7, reported the Daily Mirror.

Ships are being forced to take huge detours, some even up to a month, through the Suez Canal in Egypt. It is understood that the number of ships passing through will fall further to 18 a day from February because of the drought. Last month, Everstream Analytics chief meteorologist Jon Davis told FOX Weather: ‘It is the worst situation since the middle of last century.

‘ There were warning signs as early as August when more than 200 ships were stuck on both sides of the Panama Canal after authorities capped the number of crossings because of a serious drought. The large vessels, which were thought to be carrying millions of dollars’ worth of goods, were locked in a traffic jam, with some waiting for weeks to cross. Only 24 ships have been able to cross through each day since November 7.

The average wait time this month is 11. 7 days in the queue. Pictured: The route of the Panama Canal There were warning signs as early as August when more than 200 ships were stuck on both sides of the Panama Canal after authorities capped the number of crossings.

Pictured: A cargo ship sailing through Agua Clara locks of the Panama Canal in Agua Clara, Panama, on August 3 The container ship Tampa Triumph passes through the Miraflores Locks in September Vessel-tracking data highlighted the extent of the issue, with hundreds of ships, mainly bulk cargo or gas carriers, seen waiting near entrances to the canal on the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The number of daily transits through the canal was capped at 32 by water authorities in a bid to conserve water. READ MORE – Christmas supplies in America are threatened as vital Panama Canal shipping route suffers its worst drought EVER: Cargo ships face weeks-long wait in backlog Advertisement The effects have led the canal to estimate a reduction in revenues of up to $200 million by 2024.

An unprecedented drought this year has caused water levels at the canal to be the lowest seen at this time of year in nearly a century of data. Panama’s dry season has come early this year with forecasts suggesting there will not be much rain in the coming weeks. Water levels at Lake Gatun, which is the primary feeder into the canal, saw some improvement last month, in comparison to levels in autumn, but meteorologists warn it has not been significant enough.

As the region enters its dry season in January, water levels at Gatun are expected to be the lowest ever recorded. Everstream Analytics chief meteorologist Jon Davis said this is ‘an item of concern’, adding that the chances of seeing any improvement during the first quarter of 2024 is ‘remote at best’. Panama’s annual dry season normally begins in December and lasts until April or May.

The drought, which comes with temperatures already at a 1. 2C (34F) rise, is being discussed at the Cop28 environmental conference, with delegates hoping to agree to keep global warming at a 1. 5C (35F) limit.

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