News / One year on, the expanded Panama Canal still 'surpassing expectations'

© Yanik Chauvin

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) yesterday celebrated the first anniversary of the opening of the expanded waterway, described as a game-changing event in the history of maritime transport.

ACP said the expanded canal’s inauguration on 26 June 2016 had resulted in “redrawn global trade routes”.

The first post-panamax vessel to transit the canal was the specially renamed 9,443 teu Cosco Shipping Panama.

Prior to the $5.2bn upgrade and widening of its locks, the 77km canal linking the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic was restricted to vessels ...