For the third time since the inauguration of the Expanded Canal, the Panama Canal set a new monthly tonnage record of 38.1 million tons (PC/UMS) after enabling the transit of 1,231 vessels in May 2018.
The previous record was set in January 2017, when 1,260 vessels transited 36.1 million tons through the waterway, a month after setting the record with 35.4 million tons transited by 1,166 vessels in December 2016.
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The container ship segment contributed the highest tonnage with 36%, breaking its segment record with 13.8 million tons transited by 229 vessels.
Because of the Neopanamax locks which were launched almost two years ago, the Expanded Canal has received around 3,800 Neopanamax vessels, around 50% of which are containerships.
The waterway has also accommodated LPG and LNG vessels, as well as bulk carriers, tankers, cruisers and vehicle carriers.
On March 2018, The Panama Canal announced the transit of its 3,000th Neopanamax vessel, surpassing the initial traffic expectations. The Panamanian flagged containership MSC Caterina completed the milestone transit this morning traveling northbound from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean.
