Panama Canal Reports Record Tonnage

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) announced a new tonnage record, welcoming 340.8 million Panama Canal tons (PC/UMS) through the canal for the 2015 fiscal year – a 4.3 percent increase year-on-year.

 

This year's record surpasses the previous record of 333.7 million PC/UMS tons set in FY2012, ACP said.

 

During the fiscal year, which ran from October 1, 2014 to September 30, 2015, containerships registering the highest total tonnage, followed by dry bulk, liquid bulk and car carriers.

 

Compared to the other segments, liquid bulk saw the largest boost, increasing some 23 percent, or 11.9 million PC/UMS tons, due to booming diesel, gasoline and propane exports from the U.S. Gulf Coast to South America and Asia, ACP noted.

 

The containership segment saw a 3.7 percent increase in PC/UMS tonnage year-on-year. Seven new liner services were introduced in January of this year which also contributed to the increase in cargo passing through the Canal: five in the U.S. East Coast-Asia route, one U.S. West Coast-Europe route, and another one on the North-South route.

 

In addition, the car carrier segment recorded an increase of 5.2 percent as a result of exports from Mexico's West Coast destined to the U.S. East Coast.