Strait of Magellan: maritime traffic up by 70 per cent
The increase is due to the decision by many shipowners to avoid the Panama Canal, where the local authority has imposed operational restrictions due to the drought linked to El Niño.
Maritime traffic in the Strait of Magellan rose by more than 70 per cent between August and September 2026 compared with the same period the previous year, according to statistics from the Punta Arenas Harbour Master’s Office, which is part of the Chilean Navy.
The peak, which mainly affected ships between 60,000 and 65,000 tonnes, was due to the decision by many shipowners to avoid the Panama Canal, where the local Authority has imposed operational restrictions due to the drought linked to El Niño.
“Weather conditions in Central America were the key factor in the changes to the routes,” explained Kenneth Loh, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence.
The expert pointed out that the crisis has forced shipping operators to incur extraordinary costs in transit auctions in order to avoid long delays. To get round these difficulties, vessels have opted for the southern route, despite having to cover greater distances and consume more fuel. In addition to the weather, the routes were altered by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and heavy snowfall in the Andes, which slowed down land transport between Chile and Argentina.
The maritime authority estimates that high passenger numbers will continue over the coming months.
