PANAMA CITY — A 984-foot Chinese container ship cleared the new massive locks of the Panama Canal on Sunday, becoming the first to officially pass through the expanded canal and sparking a new dawn for Panama and global shipping. As it entered the canal earlier Sunday, brass bands played nonstop as onlookers – from Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and a host of other countries – waved flags and danced. The $5.4 billion effort to expand the 102-year-old canal took nearly 10 years and the sweat from 40,000 workers to complete. The new set of locks now allows ships carrying up to 14,000 containers, known as neo-Panamax ships, to cut a quicker path between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. U.S. ports have been investing billions of dollars to expand their facilities in a race to accommodate the mega ships. Panama marked the long-awaited opening with a weekend party hosted by Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela that includes at least 70 country leaders, members of the U.S. Congress and Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Biden. John Feeley, the U.S. ambassador to Panama, lauded Panama for its "wonder of engineering." "This is a grand accomplishment for the people of Panama," he said. "This expansion will reconfigure, permanently, the map of the global shipping industry."
Around 11 hours after entering the canal from the Atlantic Ocean, the COSCO Shipping Panama — the Chinese container ship -- emerged on the Pacific-side locks, where thousands of flag-waving guests, dignitaries and news media awaited its arrival. Varela thanked the workers who worked on the project and urged transparency in the distribution of revenue created by the newly-expanded canal. “All Panamanians should feel very proud,” he said. “Today marks an historic day for Panama.” Then, fireworks exploded in the sky. The gate to the locks slowly opened and the massive container ship plied in, completing its 50-mile trek through the canal. The crowds erupted in cheers. The United States led the construction of the original canal in the early 20th century and held control of the waterway until 1999, when it was ceded to Panama. The expansion project was overseen by Panama. “Panamanians were witness to the inter-ocean canal constructed by the United States,” Varela said Saturday night at an event hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Panama. “Now, you’ll be witness to the canal expanded by Panama.” The expanded canal nearly triples the capacity of ships transiting the canal, from those able to carry 5,000 containers to up to 14,000 containers, and is expected to bring increased revenue to Panama. But the project has also been wracked by cost overruns, delays, engineering snafus and labor strikes.
