Supply Chain Research

The Panama Canal had a quiet end to 2017 with a 0.4% increase in transits and 7% rise in volumes in December vs. a year earlier. Yet, it had a successful year overall with a 5% rise in transits and 30% in volumes after the first full year of widening of the Canal to allow more neopanamax transits. The rise in southeast U.S. ports’ share of Asian traffic from five key markets to 18% from 17% a year earlier indicates diversions are proceeding as planned. More of the same can be expected in 2018 after a record number of neopanamax transits in December following an increase in the number of ...