Panama says container transit up at Balboa, Cristobal ports

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Panama's Ports Authority on Monday said container transit at its Balboa and Cristobal ports increased between March and May, following a slump in February after the government cancelled contracts for the ports held by Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison HKEX:1.BY THE NUMBERSThe Balboa port, on the country's Pacific coast, saw container transit grow 44% in the period - from 153,840 moves in March to 221,536 moves in May, the authority said in a statement.Balboa's May 2026 transit volume was up 1.9% from the same month a year before.The port of Cristobal, on the Atlantic coast, saw container transit rise 53.2% - from 46,408 in March to 71,096 in May.Although Cristobal's levels remain below last year's, transit in April and May points to gradual recovery, the authority said."The ports of Balboa and Cristobal are beginning to show a positive recovery following the decline recorded in February 2026, when the government assumed control of both terminals after the Supreme Court ruling that affected the concession of former operator Panama Ports Company," the ports authority said.The Panama Canal saw a 3.7% increase in traffic year-on-year in the first half of the fiscal year, the port authority said in April, with 6,288 vessels transiting the waterway.Transit through the Panama Canal has increased due to the Iran war, which has interrupted transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global trade.The Panama Canal Authority said in May that it was not planning to curb ship transit throughout the year despite drought threats linked to the El Niño weather pattern.

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