- With this new daily tonnage record, February is the third consecutive record-breaking month for the Panama Canal.
Panama City, Panama, March 9, 2017 – In February 2017, the Panama Canal set a new daily tonnage record of 1.18 million Panama Canal tons (PC/UMS) after welcoming a total of 1,180 vessels through both the Expanded and original locks. The previous record was established the month prior in January 2017 when the Canal recorded a daily tonnage average of 1.16 PC/UMS.
With this achievement, February is the third-consecutive record-breaking month for the Panama Canal. In December 2016 and January 2017, the waterway set monthly tonnage records after transiting 35.4 million PC/UMS and 36.1 million PC/UMS, respectively.
“These records are evidence of the maritime industry’s growing adoption of the Expanded Canal,” said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano. “As the new lane continues to reshape global maritime trade and its true impact becomes more and more apparent, we will continue to offer new growth opportunities to our customers and cargo destinations around the world.”
Eight months since the Inauguration, approximately 850 Neopanamax vessels have transited the new locks, and 53% of cargo transiting the waterway in container ships are using the Expanded Canal. In addition, 11 new liner services have been rerouted to take advantage of the economies of scale the Canal offers. As the impact of the Expansion becomes more evident, this number is expected to increase.
Further, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels, as well as bulk carriers, tankers and vehicle carriers have transited the Expanded Canal since it was operational in June 2016. And in April 2017, the first Neopanamax cruise ship, capable of carrying up to 4,000 passengers, will transit the new locks.
About the Panama Canal Authority
The Panama Canal is run by an autonomous agency of the Government of Panama in charge of managing, operating and maintaining the Panama Canal. The operation of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) is based on its organic law and the regulations approved by its Board of Directors. For more information, please refer to the ACP’s website: http://www.pancanal.com or follow us on Twitter @thepanamacanal.
About the Panama Canal Expansion
The Panama Canal Expansion is the largest enhancement project since the Canal’s opening in 1914. Considered and analyzed for a decade with more than 100 studies, the Expanded Canal provides the world’s shippers, retailers, manufacturers and consumers with greater shipping options, better maritime service, enhanced logistics and supply-chain reliability. The Expansion included the construction of a new set of locks on the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the waterway, creating a third lane of traffic and doubling the cargo capacity of the waterway. While the expanded locks are 70 feet wider and 18 feet deeper than those in the original Canal, they use less water due to water-savings basins that recycle 60 percent of the water used per transit. In line with its commitment to customer service, the Panama Canal will continue to provide the world with value for another century and beyond.