Panama Canal expansion 'lot of hype'

摘要

PANAMA CITY, PANAMA—The projected 2015 completion of the expansion and widening of the Panama Canal is causing a "lot of hype," but will not drive a major change in maritime shipping options, a top intermodal executive is predicting. When the project to widen the canal is completed in 2015, longer and wider ships will be able to pass through its locks, allowing big manufacturers shorter access to ports on the Gulf of Mexico and the East Coast. However, Paul Svindland, chief operating officer at Pacer International and a former Maersk executive, says that "at end of the day expanding the Canal does not affect demand patterns on the East Coast."