A ship loaded with liquefied petroleum gas paid the record amount of US$ 5.3 million, equivalent to about R$ 27 million, to advance its passage through the Panama Canal. The designated administrator of the canal, Ilya Espino de Marotta, confirmed to AFP that the vessel made the payment, but did not reveal details about it. The Bloomberg agency reported that South Korean company SK Gas was responsible for the payment so that the ship G. Spirit could cross the route on September 1, two days before the restrictions began.
The passage was advanced due to the effects of the El Niño phenomenon, which significantly reduced the level of the artificial lakes of Gatún and Alhajuela, responsible for storing the rainwater that feeds the canal. The waterway, through which approximately 5% of world maritime trade passes, will begin to restrict its traffic starting September 3.
From that date, the number of daily transits will be reduced from 36 to 34 ships. Twelve days later, on September 15, the flow will again be reduced to 32 ships per day, as a water-saving measure given the increasingly low levels of the reservoirs.
