Effect of Post-Panamax Containerships on US Ports and Logistics Networks

摘要

The expansion of the Panama Canal has had a remarkable impact at varying degrees in different sectors of the US economy including ports and logistics networks. This paper addresses impact on port infrastructure required to prepare US container ports located on the East Coast and the Coast of the Gulf of Mexico for the arrival of Post-Panamax containerships, which are vessels that due to their dimensions require US port authorities to deepen and widen the port's navigation channels for the safe transit of such big vessels and port operators to replace cranes used to load/unload shipping containers on/from containerships with bigger cranes. This paper also addresses the economic impact of Post-Panamax containerships in US logistics networks. Post-Panamax containerships are vessels that cross the Panama Canal after the completion of the Panama Canal expansion project.