Container ships pass through locks on the Panama Canal in this file photo. (CIA.gov)

Panama Canal drought to delay grain ships well into 2024

Wait times more than doubled between October and late November, prompting some shippers to reroute

Bulk grain shippers hauling crops from the U.S. Gulf Coast export hub to Asia are sailing longer routes and paying higher freight costs to avoid vessel congestion and record-high transit fees in the drought-hit Panama Canal, traders and analysts said.