{"id":2580119,"date":"2026-03-15T22:41:01","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T02:41:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/panama-canal-braces-for-rise-in-traffic-amid-iran-war\/"},"modified":"2026-03-15T22:44:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T02:44:13","slug":"panama-canal-braces-for-rise-in-traffic-amid-iran-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/panama-canal-braces-for-rise-in-traffic-amid-iran-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Panama Canal Braces for Rise in Traffic Amid Iran War"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpanama-canal-braces-for-rise-in-traffic-amid-iran-war%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2580119&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The piece contrasts the Iran crisis\u2019 disruption of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/like-something-out-of-black-mirror-how-an-australian-town-became-a-smart-city-overnight\/\" title=\"\u2018Like Something Out Of Black Mirror\u2019: How An Australian Town Became A \u2018Smart-City\u2019 Overnight\">global trade<\/a> through the Strait of Hormuz with evolving shipping patterns that could affect the Panama Canal. It notes that Hormuz remains a critical oil artery, moving up to about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oil-in-high-demand-as-biden-tries-to-maneuver-around-bad-energy-policies\/\" title=\"Oil in High Demand as Biden Tries to Maneuver Around Bad Energy Policies\">21 million barrels<\/a> per day, and that the canal-though a much smaller route at just over 2 million barrels per day-could see traffic shift as energy flows realign. Dr. Ricaurte V\u00e1squez Morales, head of the Panama canal Authority, told Fox News that Middle Eastern energy still reaches Asia via the canal and that U.S. LNG shipments,after the Ukraine conflict,have shifted toward Europe but continue to route to Asia as needed; Qatar is highlighted as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-china-builds-mockups-of-u-s-navy-ships-for-missile-target-practice\/\" title=\"Report: China Builds Mockups of U.S. Navy Ships for Missile Target Practice\">major supplier<\/a> to Asia. The report suggests the canal has the capacity to handle increased traffic and that recent volume gains were partly driven by <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >tariff-related front-loading<\/a> and inventory movements around the Lunar New Year. It also provides past and geopolitical context, noting Panama\u2019s long control of the canal since 1977, ongoing interest from BlackRock in canal ports, and a nod to related developments reported by Axios.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>The conflict in Iran has brought trade through the Strait of Hormuz nearly to a standstill.<\/p>\n<p>On the other side of the world, another <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-defends-rights-of-canadian-trucker-protesters-as-justin-trudeau-smears-freedom-convoy\/\" title=\"White House Defends Rights of Canadian Trucker Protesters As Justin Trudeau Smears Freedom Convoy\">major trade route<\/a> is bracing for impact &mdash; not from sea mines or ballistic missiles, but from an uptick in traffic.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Ricaurte V&aacute;squez Morales, who serves as the authority administrator for the Panama Canal, said in an interview with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxbusiness.com\/politics\/panama-canal-chief-eyes-major-gains-iran-crisis-chokes-off-strait-hormuz-shipping-route\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fox News<\/a> that some energy extracted from the Middle East makes its way through the trade route.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We have been through the years a major channel to move LNG from the U.S. to Asia,&rdquo; Morales said, referring to liquefied natural gas.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Qatar usually supplies Asia, and after the Ukraine war, most of the American LNG has gone to Europe to replace the Russian LNG.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); 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\t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>Morales predicted that the Panama Canal will see traffic &ldquo;come up a little bit and moving from the East Coast of the United States to Asia.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>With respect to oil, Fox News noted that the Strait of Hormuz usually sees up to 21 million barrels move through every day.<\/p>\n<p>That&rsquo;s one-fifth of the world&rsquo;s oil.<\/p>\n<p>The Panama Canal meanwhile sees just over 2 million barrels of oil per day &mdash; a fraction of the  moved in the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p>Morales said that the Panama Canal has the capacity to handle a rise in traffic.<\/p>\n<p>He added that increased tariffs from President Donald Trump have already caused traffic to rise.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Over the last 12 months, it increased volumes through the Panama Canal because people were anticipating tariffs, and they tried to front load the cargoes, especially for the later part of the year for Christmas demand in the states,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Now what we have is that essentially with the Lunar Year, they clear up all the inventories in Asia, so some of that has been moved into final destinations.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The conflict in Iran and the impacts on the Panama Canal come months after Trump signaled that he wanted to re-acquire the trade route, which American engineers completed in 1914.<\/p>\n<p>Panama has owned the route since 1977, and it was jointly run by Panamanian and U.S. authorities until 1999.<\/p>\n<p>BlackRock, an American asset management company, has been attempting to purchase two ports on the Panama Canal from Hong Kong firm CK Hutchinson.<\/p>\n<p>The deal has not yet gone through, according to a report from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2026\/01\/21\/panama-canal-ports-blackrock-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Axios<\/a> published in January.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ]; 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( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The upheaval in Iran has slowed traffic through the Strait of Hormuz about as close to a standstill as it\u2019s likely to get. Meanwhile, another vital global trade artery-the Panama Canal-could see changes as Middle East energy shipments continue toward Asia. Dr. Ricaurte V\u00e1squez Morales, head administrator of the Panama Canal Authority, told Fox News that Middle East energy already moves through the canal, highlighting that liquefied natural gas from the United States has long been routed to Asia via the canal, with Qatar typically supplying Asia and much American LNG shifting to Europe after the Ukraine conflict to replace Russian LNG.<\/p>\n<p>Morales noted that the Panama Canal has historically been a major conduit for U.S. LNG to Asia and pointed out the gulf between Hormuz\u2019s oil flow and the canal\u2019s. Hormuz sees about 21 million barrels of oil pass daily-roughly one-fifth of global oil-whereas the canal handles just over 2 million barrels per day, a much smaller share. He argued that the canal could handle higher volumes if needed and attributed some of the recent uptick in traffic to tariff pressures from the Trump administration that had prompted shippers to front-load shipments. He also mentioned that the Lunar New Year season cleared Asian inventories, causing some volumes to move to their final destinations.<\/p>\n<p>The Iran conflict and its potential effects on the canal come months after President Trump signaled a desire to reassert control over the waterway, which American engineers completed in 1914. Panama has owned the route since 1977, having previously been jointly managed with the United States until 1999. Separately, BlackRock has been attempting to buy two Panama Canal ports from CK Hutchison, a deal that Axios reported had not yet closed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2580120,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Michael-Featured-Image-796.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[32404,75205,47952,9328,9386],"class_list":["post-2580119","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-geopolitics","tag-iran-war-2","tag-panama-canal","tag-shipping","tag-traffic"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Michael-Featured-Image-796.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2580119","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2580119"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2580119\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2580123,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2580119\/revisions\/2580123"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2580120"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2580119"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2580119"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2580119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}