LUBBOCK, Texas (RFD NEWS) — The Panama Canal is moving more ships and cargo in fiscal 2026 while keeping traffic flowing.
Officials said 6,288 vessels crossed the canal from October through March, up 224 from a year earlier. Volume reached 254 million tons (PC/UMS), about 5 percent above the same period last fiscal year.
Reservations remain strong, but the system is still working without a queue. Most ships book in advance, which protects scheduled transit slots and gives shippers greater certainty in a busy market.
Container traffic and liquefied petroleum gas were key drivers in recent months. Daily averages reached 34 vessels in January and 37 in March, with some days topping 40 transits.
Water levels are favorable, and conservation steps are in place ahead of possible El Niño risk later this year. Full lakes should help the canal maintain reliable service through the next dry season.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Steady Panama Canal operations help support more predictable shipping conditions for global agriculture.
Tony St. James, RFD News Markets Specialist
Large carryover stocks continue to put pressure on commodity prices, creating uncertainty for growers looking to market their grain.
October 16, 2025 04:20 PM
·
Peel says Mexico has a much greater capability to expand its beef industry than it did 20 or 30 years ago in terms of its feeding and packing infrastructure.
October 16, 2025 03:59 PM
·
The impacts of the government shutdown have reached commodity growers with crops to move, ag economists monitoring the harvest without key data reporting, and meat producers in need of new export markets.
October 16, 2025 01:03 PM
·
In a statement provided to RFD-TV News, a USDA spokesperson reiterated President Trump and the USDA’s commitment to farmers in difficult economic times.
October 16, 2025 11:57 AM
·
Support policies that keep U.S. biofuels at the table—marine demand could materially lift corn grind, crush margins, and rural jobs.
October 15, 2025 03:47 PM
·
China is not one of our top suppliers of cooking oil, according to USDA ERS data, but does export a lot of used cooking oil to the U.S. for biofuel production.
October 15, 2025 12:13 PM
·
