Panama Canal Saw 2.8% Transit Increase Through January Despite Tensions

The Panama Canal, the world’s second busiest interoceanic way, saw a ​2.8 percent increase in vessel transits in the first ‌four months of its fiscal year through January, according to an analysis prepared by its authority seen by Reuters on Friday. Most traffic increases ​were registered by tankers carrying energy products including ​liquefied natural gas (LNG), car carriers and dry bulk carriers, according to the report. That growth represents 114 additional transits ​from the same period a year earlier to a total ​of 4,156 vessels in the four-month period, a sign that demand remained solid “despite increased global trade volatility, new tariffs, and geopolitical tensions,” the ​Panama Canal Authority said in the report.