Panama City — The Panama Canal Authority has announced a new record for the largest cargo capacity containership to traverse the Canal, underscoring the waterway’s resilience as it recovers from drought-related restrictions in 2024.
The MSC Marie, with a deadweight tonnage (dwt) of 202,562, achieved this milestone during its transit from Mexico. The vessel, which commenced its journey from China and Korea, was delivered to Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) in 2024 as part of its fleet expansion. The MSC Marie boasts a maximum capacity of 17,640 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) and was registered in Liberia. It made the transit with an approximate draft of 48 feet, reflecting the easing of earlier transit restrictions.
The MSC Marie surpasses the previous record set by Evergreen’s Ever Max in August 2023. Both ships share similar dimensions: 1,200 feet (366 meters) in length and a beam of 167.4 feet (51 meters). However, the Ever Max, which has a rated capacity of 17,312 TEU, faced draft restrictions during its transit and had to offload some cargo for transshipment by rail across the isthmus.
The record-setting performance of the MSC Marie highlights the ongoing trend of deploying larger vessels on Panama Canal trade routes. The new record ship is comparable in size to the CMA CGM Zephyr, which set the capacity record in 2022 with 16,285 TEU. Prior to that, the Triton, operating for Evergreen, held the record with a capacity of 14,000 TEU and a length of 1,210 feet. While the Triton remains the longest vessel, advancements in loading systems have allowed similar-sized ships to carry more containers.
The Panama Canal Authority emphasized that this new record demonstrates the Canal’s capability to accommodate the largest and most modern ships, reinforcing its critical role in global trade.
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