Panama Canal Traffic and Tonnage Rise Despite El Niño Challenges

The Panama Canal reported growth in vessel traffic, tonnage and revenue in fiscal year 2026, as stronger demand from energy carriers and containerships helped lift volumes despite ongoing concerns over water availability.

The waterway handled 13,951 vessel transits during the fiscal year ended September 30, up 4.1% from 13,404 the previous year, according to results released Wednesday by the Panama Canal Authority.

Total tonnage climbed 6.5% to 521 million Panama Canal Universal Measurement System (PC/UMS) tons, compared with 489.2 million tons in fiscal 2025.

Larger vessels continued to drive much of the growth. Ships using the canal’s Neopanamax locks accounted for 52.2% of total tonnage, with volumes through those locks increasing 8.2% year over year.

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