![]() ![]() HIRSCH: But we've all seen what can happen when small problems in the global supply chain spiral into these big, expensive blockages. Even with that increase, though, disruptions to U.S. So under normal circumstances, there's usually about 90 ships waiting in line. And now, well, there's a wee bit of a traffic jam. The Panama Canal Authority - that's a government agency - has cut back on the number of vessels that can go through each day. ![]() HIRSCH: And that means there's just not enough water to float as many ships up and down that water staircase. But instead, Panama is experiencing its driest year on record since 1950. ![]() Right now is the region's rainy season, which means rainfall should be replenishing the freshwater in those lakes. WONG: And this is the source of the headache at the Panama Canal. It uses fresh water from artificial lakes. And even though the canal is bookended by oceans, it actually doesn't use seawater for this gravity-powered system. Lifting ships through the lock system requires millions of gallons of water at each step. Ships come into the canal at the bottom step, and water enters to float ships on to the next level. The canal itself is a lock system that's arranged kind of like a water staircase. HIRSCH: And here's how these soybeans and wine get to their destinations. Today, more than 270 billion dollars' worth of stuff, from Brazilian soybeans to Chilean wine, make this journey. WAILIN WONG, BYLINE: And so the preferred route is to go across Central America via the Panama Canal. NATHAN STRANG: Longer means more money 'cause you have to burn more fuel. Nathan Strang is director of ocean freight at Flexport, a logistics company. Now, you could go around the tip of South America, but that is a lengthy journey. PADDY HIRSCH, BYLINE: Let's say you wanted to get a container ship from Asia to the east coast of the U.S. Wailin Wong and Paddy Hirsch from Planet Money's The Indicator podcast explain. Many of the biggest supply chain issues from the peak of the pandemic are now behind us, but a snarl at the Panama Canal is providing a new test for global supply chains. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |