The Panama Canal has seen the transit of its 5,000th neo-panamax vessel through the waterway, reaffirming the value and impact the route has had on global maritime trade.
The container vessel Cosco Faith transited yesterday travelling southbound from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. The vessel has a 13,345 total TEU allowance (TTA) and measures 366 metres in length and 48.2 metres in beam.
“The steady increase in neo-panamax transits reflects our customer’s confidence in the Panama Canal route,” said Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano. “We reinforce our commitment to continually improve our service to better serve the industry.”
The Cosco Faith is part of Ocean Alliance’s Manhattan Bridge-AWE2 service, between Asia and the US East Coast.
Of the 5,000 neo-panamax vessels that have transited to date, 51 % have been from the container segment. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vessels constitute another 26% and liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, a relatively new segment to the Panama Canal, make up 10%. Dry and liquid bulk carriers, car carriers and cruise ships make up the remaining transits
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