Panama City, Panama, January 22, 2014 – The Panama Canal registered a tonnage record of 87.7 million PC/UMS tons (Panama Canal Universal Measurement System) during the first quarter of the fiscal year (FY), a 4.8% increase from what was forecasted.
“These results reaffirm Panama Canal’s impact on international trade and its role of continuing to offer a reliable and competitive service to its customers,” Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano said.
The Panama Canal fiscal year goes from October 1 to September 30.The previous record was during the first quarter of FY 2012 which registered 86.2 million PC/UMS tons.
The tonnage increase is mostly due to a good crop in the United States, which has led to strong grain cargo flows through the Panama Canal from US Gulf to Asia.
A total of 3,450 transits were registered during this period.
About the Panama Canal Authority (ACP)
The ACP is the autonomous agency of the Government of Panama in charge of managing, operating and maintaining the Panama Canal. The operation of the ACP is based on its organic law and the regulations approved by its Board of Directors. Please refer to the ACP’s website: http://www.pancanal.com/ or follow us on Twitter @thepanamacanal.