First commercial transit of a neopanamax vessel through the expanded Panama Canal

摘要

It was a moment that had been eagerly anticipated for years in the maritime shipping industry. As of June 26, 2016, the first Neopanamax container ship had transited the expanded Panama Canal, which is now officially open for business. During the official inauguration ceremony, Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela and Panama Canal Administrator and Chief Executive Officer Jorge L Quijano spoke to a crowd of more than 25,000 jubilant Panamanians, Canal employees, heads of state and dignitaries from around the world, Canal customers, shipping and trade executives, and nearly 1,000 journalists. This is the first expansion of the waterway since its original construction.