The Panama Canal Authority said on October 20 that due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the Middle East war, the Panama Canal's cargo volume reached a record high in the last fiscal year. The agency said that in the fiscal year from October 2025 to September 2026, nearly 14,000 ships carried goods through the Panama Canal, with a cargo volume of 521 million tons. The previous record for the highest canal freight volume was 518 million tons in FY2022. The Panama Canal is responsible for about 5% of global maritime trade.

The Panama Canal Authority said on October 20 that due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the Middle East war, the Panama Canal's cargo volume reached a record high in the last fiscal year. The agency said that in the fiscal year from October 2025 to September 2026, nearly 14,000 ships carried goods through the Panama Canal, with a cargo volume of 521 million tons. The previous record for the highest canal freight volume was 518 million tons in FY2022. The Panama Canal is responsible for about 5% of global maritime trade.