Wider Panama Canal Gives US Gulf Short-Cut to Asia

摘要

The first commercial transit was held through the expanded Panama Canal Sunday, opening up a short-cut for LNG carriers leaving US Gulf Coast terminals for Pacific markets. The Panama Canal Authority (PCA) said the new waterway will allow Neopanamax-class ships the ability to transit. Vessels are classified as Neopanamax if their dimensions are more than 966 feet in length or over 107 feet in beam. The COSCO Shipping Panama, the ship used for the inaugural transit, is 157 feet in beam and 980.1 feet long.