The Port of Tampa will be positioned to serve markets in South Florida by 2015 when the Panama Canal expansion is completed, a canal authority official said.
Rodolfo Sabonge, Panama Canal Authority vice-president, said the port soon could enjoy competitive advantages over South Florida ports that cannot easily expand or provide efficient truck access to highways.
He said what matters is what happens to the cargo once it is unloaded.
Shipping industry officials expect that the completion of the US$5.25 billion Panama Canal expansion will create changes in trade routes, trade lane competition, infrastructure needs and customer expectations.
The expansion project is a response to projected international cargo shipping growth. The canal will be widened and deepened to allow much larger ships and to double annual capacity to more than 600 million tonnes.
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