According to British Broadcasting Corporation, from January to May 2009, the movement of cargo through the Panama National Port System grew by 10.1% YoY as compared to the same period in 2008 due to a rise in bulk cargo, which increased by 42.1%.

By contrast, container traffic was down substantially from 2008. The decline in container movement during the first 5 months of 2009 coincides with the projections of a decrease in freight transportation through the Panama Canal, which is expected to fall 5% this year.

A report by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean reported that the ports of Panama and Peru recorded the highest levels of growth in Latin America in 2008.

During the first 4 months of 2009, the Panamanian port system mobilized 996,000 TEUs containers, down by 3.4% YoY.

But Manzanillo International Terminal registered a growth in this area of 9.7%. According to analysts, this increase reflects an increase in the number of empty containers handled at the terminal.

(Sourced from www.cargonewsasia.com)