PANAMA CANAL TRAFFIC UP 7% IN JANUARY-MARCH
The total tonnage of ships transiting the Panama Canal increased by 7 percent in the first quarter, to 63.2 million tons, from 59.1 million tons a year ago.
The Panama Canal Authority reported that the average time it takes a vessel to navigate the Canal, including time waiting for transit, decreased from 23.5 hours in January-March of 2002 to 21.1 hours during the same quarter of this year.