This paper examines the impact of the 2022?2023 Panama Canal drought on container trade between Asia and the United States. It provides insights on valuing supply delays and shaping resilient trade policies for Asia’s export-driven economies.
Disruptions at global chokepoints propagate shocks through supply chains. This paper finds that the 2022?2023 drought induced significant delays in Panama Canal voyages and erased normal-time efficiency gains. Delays were largest for metals and light manufactures, while food shipments saw no significant effect.