Original news was published 02 October, 2017

THE Panama Canal has received its 2,000th Neopanamax containership since the opening of the expanded waterway in June 2016.

The 9,504-TEU Cosco Yantian completed the milestone transit through the canal while travelling northbound from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. The vessel measures 351 metres in length and 43 metres in beam.

"Over the last 15 months, the expanded canal has repeatedly exceeded expectations," said Panama Canal administrator, Jorge Quijano, in a statement.

The Cosco Yantian is deployed on the Pacific East Coast 2 (PEX2) service, which operates between Asia and the Caribbean.

The container segment accounts for more than half of the transits through the expanded canal (54 per cent), while LPG and LNG vessels represent 29.2 and 8.6 per cent, respectively. Bulk carriers, tankers, car carriers and cruise ships also pass through the canal.

*NEWS SOURCE