The announcement that Neo Sub-Panamax Container Ships have crossed the Panama Canal in record numbers, with over 1200 crossings in both directions during the first five months of 2025, signals a strong recovery and increased utilization of the expanded locks, reports Alphaliner on LinkedIn.
Increase in Transit
From January to May, the Panama Canal saw a significant increase in vessel transits, recording a 10.2% year-over-year increase and a 4.1% improvement over the previous best during this timeframe in 2022.
The primary force behind this positive trend was the Neo Sub-Panamax fleet of Container Carriers, specifically those with a TEU capacity between 7,500 and 10,000. These vessels constituted over a quarter of all Container Ship traffic through the Panama Canal since the start of 2025 and experienced a substantial 30.2% year-over-year boost in crossings.
In stark contrast, Suez Canal traffic for Container Ships with more than 4,000 TEU capacity remains rare. Even the Sub-Panamax segment has seen a drop in traffic in recent months, with May recording fewer than 100 crossings for the first time since July 2024. This highlights the ongoing impact of geopolitical tensions and security concerns in the Red Sea, which have largely rerouted larger vessels away from the Suez Canal.
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Source: Alphaliner on LinkedIn
