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 U.S. Gulf to Asia.
A total of 3,450 transits were registered during this period.