Oil shipments through Panama Canal up 74% due to situation around Iran — newspaper

TASS · 🇮🇷 public Iran · May 12, 2026 · 189 words

headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing

Generate a natural audio summary of this story

Daily briefing

What to know about Oil shipments through Panama Canal up 74% due to situation around Iran — newspaper

The article reports a 74% increase in oil and petroleum shipments through the Panama Canal in April compared to 2025 averages. This surge is attributed to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, leading to record-high traffic and increased auction fees for priority passage.

Propaganda risk 0%

Claims checked 9

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center83%

Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Shipments of oil and petroleum products through the Panama Canal between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans climbed by 74% this April compared to the 2025 average due to the disruption of shipping flows caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Why it matters

These shipments are primarily directed from the US East Coast to Asian countries that are facing a sharp reduction in supplies from the Persian Gulf, the Japanese Nikkei newspaper reported.

Common ground

Up to 1.77 mln barrels of oil and petroleum products were delivered through the Panama Canal per day in April, according to the report.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What terms are actually in the Iran proposal, and which side would have to compromise first?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Up to 1.77 mln barrels of oil and petroleum products were delivered through the Panama Canal per day in April?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://tass.com/economy/2129567

analyticsAnalysis

Propaganda Score

confidence: 95%

Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 4

check_circle Corroborated 3

help Insufficient Evidence 1

verified Verified By Reference 1

info

Claim 1: “Up to 1.77 mln barrels of oil and petroleum products were delivered through the Panama Canal per day in April”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the general trend of increased oil shipments is corroborated, the specific figure of '1.77 mln barrels per day' is not explicitly mentioned in the provided evidence snippets, though the context of the surge is confirmed.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The idea of the Panama Canal dates back to 1513, when the Spanish conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa (c.1475–1519) first crossed the Isthmus of Panama.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Panama Canal is an artificial 82km waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal that cuts across the Isthmus of Panama …
https://gulfnews.com/world/americas/panama-reports-improved-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — While passage through the canal usually comes at a flat rate via reservations, companies without bookings can pay more to cross through an auction that awards slots to the highest bidder. The alternat…
https://fortune.com/2026/04/24/businesses-spend-millions-pan…

info

Claim 2: “The Panama Canal is only suitable for small and medium-sized tankers”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided search results for this claim returned irrelevant content (OnlyFans), providing no factual information regarding tanker sizes suitable for the canal.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Onlyfans ... Onlyfans
https://obs-settings.onlyfans.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — id.onlyfans.com ... Please wait
https://id.onlyfans.com/omnichannel-start/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Dec 4, 2024 · Explore All 181 posts on the Official OnlyFans blog. Stay up to date on OnlyFans, learn tips & tricks & be inspired by creator stories.
https://blog.onlyfans.com/all/

check_circle

Claim 3: “These shipments are primarily directed from the US East Coast to Asian countries that are facing a sharp reduction in supplies from the Persian Gulf”

CORROBORATED

Both Nikkei Asia and The Idea Magazine report that the increase in Panama Canal shipments is due to Asian buyers importing more US crude oil because the closure of the Strait of Hormuz limited alternative routes.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Panama Canal shortcut greatly reduces the time for ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, enabling them to avoid the lengthy, hazardous route around the southernmost tip of South…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — TOKYO -- Crude oil and petroleum products traveling through the Panama Canal swelled more than 70% above last year's levels in April, as the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz sent Asian buyers…
https://asia.nikkei.com/business/transportation/panama-canal…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Why did oil shipments through the Panama Canal increase so dramatically? The increase is primarily due to Asian buyers importing more US crude oil, as the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has…
https://theideamagazine.com/sustainability-energy/panama-can…

check_circle

Claim 4: “Shipments of oil and petroleum products through the Panama Canal between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans climbed by 74% this April compared to the 2025 average”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources (Nikkei Asia via 'The Idea Magazine' and another source) report that oil and petroleum shipments through the Panama Canal swelled by more than 70% (specifically cited as 'more than 70%' and '74%' in the claim) in April compared to previous levels due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — After a period of joint American–Panamanian control, the Panamanian government took control in 1999. It is now managed and operated by the Panamanian government-owned Panama Canal Authority. Annual tr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The cost of transiting the Panama Canal has risen to a record high. This is due to a sharp increase in demand from Asian companies that are rerouting their shipments because of the war in Iran, accord…
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/panama-canal-transit-fees-hi…

help

Claim 5: “Supertankers from the US travel to Asian countries via the Cape of Good Hope route in southern Africa”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was gathered for this claim during the search process.

verified

Claim 6: “the disruption of shipping flows caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia explicitly states that shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been largely blocked by Iran since February 28, 2026, following an air war launched by the US and Israel.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major maritime choke point for world energy trade, has been largely blocked by Iran since 28 February 2026, when the United States and Israel launched …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_crisis

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Donald Trump says that the US is blockading the Strait of Hormuz. What does this mean in practice?
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yv6xr6me3o

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Iran has in the past threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, but has never followed through on the threat. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council must make the final decision to close the strait, …
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/23/can-iran-really-shu…

info

Claim 7: “This is an all-time high since such statistics were compiled in 2013”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence confirms a massive surge in shipments, but the specific claim that this is an 'all-time high since 2013' is not explicitly verified in the provided snippets.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Panama Canal Canal de Panamá. A schematic of the Panama Canal, illustrating the sequence of locks and passages.France began work on the canal in 1881, but stopped in 1889 because of a lack of investor…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — TOKYO -- Crude oil and petroleum products traveling through the Panama Canal swelled more than 70% above last year's levels in April, as the effective.With Hormuz unpassable due to Iran war, ships vie…
https://asia.nikkei.com/business/transportation/panama-canal…

travel_explore

check_circle

Claim 8: “Priority passage is auctioned off, with fees already reaching up to a million dollars”

CORROBORATED

Two independent sources confirm high auction fees for priority passage: 'Maritime News' mentions a record $4 million fee, and another source states some vessels paid more than $1 million.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Between April 11-16 2026, the Panama Canal saw an increase of vessel transits of 3.7% year-on-year; increased vessel wait times due to higher traffic avoiding Middle East routes; and a record $4 milli…
https://www.maritimenews.com/panama-canal/panama-canal-risin…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — At the same time, average auction prices for last-minute slots rose to about $385,000 from roughly $135,000 to $140,000 before the conflict, and some vessels paid more than $1 million for passage prio…
https://www.shipuniverse.com/news/panama-canal-emerges-as-a-…

info

Claim 9: “Oil and petroleum product shipments through the Panama Canal to Japan have increased more than fivefold compared to 2025 levels”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence confirms a general increase in shipments to Asian buyers, but the specific 'fivefold' increase for Japan is not explicitly detailed in the provided search results.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — By 2012, more than 815,000 vessels had passed through the canal. In that year, the top five users of the canal were the United States, China, Chile, Japan, and South Korea.[4][5] In 2017, it took ship…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal

travel_explore

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.