The Panama Canal has been, since its inauguration in 1914, an essential maritime route in international logistics. Countries on the east coast of the American continent save thousands of kilometers on their routes to Asia, and countries on the west coast on their routes to Europe. Equally important are the routes between the two coasts of the continent itself.
But in the 1990s, the growth of world trade began to demand the use of larger vessels to take advantage of economies of scale. Then the first post-Panamax ships arose, so called because their size prevented them from crossing the Panama Canal.
With the expansion of the Panama Canal approved by referendum in 2006, Panamanians will be able to see how post-Panamax ships will begin to use routes that do cross the canal, foreseeably starting in 2015, thus maintaining their key position in the global maritime traffic and its relevant role in international logistics.