The Panama Canal Authority (PCA) said Thursday that tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on dozens of countries have not yet affected container ship traffic.
Both Washington's allies and adversaries have faced higher tariffs on their exports to the United States due to trade practices Trump has deemed unfair.
Analysts expect the policy to slow traffic through the Panama Canal, which handles about 5% of global shipping.
"The results for this fiscal year will be in line with our expectations" in terms of revenue and cargo, canal administrator Ricarte Vazquez told AFP.
The Panama Canal Authority (PCA) expects record revenue of $5.6 billion by the end of the fiscal year on September 30, a 12.7% increase over last year's figure.
It also expects 13,900 ships, carrying 520 million tons of cargo, to transit the canal during the same period.
However, Vazquez noted that it is "likely" that the volume of cargo exports will decline over time as a result of the tariffs.
The 80-kilometer canal, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, serves more than 1,900 ports in 170 countries and provides China, Japan, and South Korea with greater access to the East Coast of the United States.
Earlier this week, China and the United States postponed for 90 days the imposition of new tariffs on their exports.
