According to the Panama Canal Authority, global commerce has measurably improved since the canal’s Neopanamax locks opened in 2016.
Since then, the canal began serving 36 new maritime routes, which connect an additional 220 ports and 10 countries.
In total, the canal serves 180 maritime routes and links 1,920 ports across 170 countries. The canal’s top user is the United States, followed by China and Japan.
Dry bulk cargo, such as soybeans, corn, and other grains are main commodities that transit the canal. Most of the canal’s grain shipments originate in the U.S. Gulf and are destined for China, the West Coast of South America, Japan or the West Coast of Central America.
Over the last few months, U.S. grain exports through the canal have increased with surging Chinese soybean demand for livestock and poultry feed.
