Panama Canal Ties Transit Record

For the third time in the last 14 months, the Panama Canal tied its record for the total number of daily transits that have an overall length greater than 900 feet. Demonstrating its capability to manage the growing demand for its waterway, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) said that nine vessels with an overall length greater than 900 feet transited the Canal on Tuesday, August 7 – tying the record achieved in May 2006 and matched in April 2007.

On average, 39 vessels transit the waterway each day and, of those, usually five vessels are greater than 900 feet. All of the record-tying vessels were container vessels and, due to the size of the vessel (greater than 900 feet), require more time and resources to transit the waterway. Of the nine, Maersk and Evergreen own two vessels each and the remaining belonged to MSC, ZIM, CMA-CGM, HAPAG-LLOYD and COSCO.