By Jite Eriabie
The Panama Canal has marked the 2,000 transits of the expanded Neopanamax locks as more and more bigger ships are replacing older Panamax vessels on the route.
The conatinership COSCO Yantian completed the 2,000 transit through the Expanded Panama Canal on Tuesday, heading north (from the Pacific to the Atlantic). The 9,504 TEU vessel measures 351 meters in length. The container ship operating on the Ocean Alliance’s Pacific East Coast 2 (PEX2) route linking Asia and the Caribbean.
“In 15 months of operations the expanded Canal has had an impact on the shipping industry realigning shipping routes. This trust of our clients reinforces our commitment to continue improving the service we provide, with the objective of attracting greater revenues and generating greater benefits to the country, “said Channel Administrator Jorge Luis Quijano.
The Expanded Panama Canal opened on June 26, 2016. The container segment represents more than half (54%) of the transits through the expanded Canal. Other top segments include LPG and LNG vessels representing 29.2% and 8.6%, respectively.
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