The efficiency of the Panama Canal not only benefits Panama but also drives the entire global supply chain, stated Ricaurte Vásquez Morales, Administrator of the Panama Canal Authority. Currently, the canal is advancing a new vision for growth and modernization backed by over $8.5 billion, integrated by four strategic projects: the expansion of the Lake of the River Indio, the construction of energy and logistics corridors, and the development of new port terminals. These projects aim to guarantee the supply of water and energy in the canal area for the next 50 years and solidify Panama's position as the main logistics hub in the Western Hemisphere. Vásquez emphasized that the canal's contributions 'go beyond ship transit; they are the basis of an integrated logistics network that combines air, sea, and land connectivity throughout the Western Hemisphere.' During a lecture at the University of Texas at Austin, he also highlighted that since Panama took over its administration in 2000, the canal has invested over $15 billion in infrastructure improvements, operational maintenance, and watershed management. The canal's operation has had direct effects on global supply chains, especially in the United States, where the canal expansion became a catalyst for over $10 billion in port investments along the Gulf and East coasts. In fiscal year 2025, 70% of the total cargo had origin or destination in the United States, with Texas representing 31% of that volume. 'The Panama Canal is much more than a passage between oceans: it is a strategic facilitator of global trade,' concluded Vásquez.
