“Containerships continue to reflect a surge in demand for finished consumer products, as increased purchases during the pandemic stressed supply chains and caused congestion in ports worldwide,” the authority said. 

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LPG tonnage was up by 18.4% year/year and followed LNG in segment growth. Containership tonnage was up by nearly 11% over the same time. 

The increase in traffic and tonnage over the last year has created logistical hurdles and at times pushed up natural gas prices. Ships were tied up for longer periods last winter as they traveled farther through the Suez Canal or around the Cape of Good Hope to bypass congestion at the canal. 

Overall, the authority said there were 13,342 transits in FY2021, up 0.1% from the prior year.