Shipments through the Panama Canal are on pace to climb to a record this year, surpassing levels set before the global economic slump, canal Chief Executive Officer Alberto Aleman said.
Traffic volume increased about 20 million metric tons from October through March from the same period a year earlier, a 13 percent gain, Aleman said. Shipments for fiscal year 2010 were 300 million metric tons, up from 298 million in 2009 and trailing the record 312 million in 2007, according to the Panama Canal Authority. In December, Aleman predicted 1.5 percent growth for 2011.