The Panama Canal has launched a consultation process with representatives of the maritime industry to identify potential partners interested in developing port terminals on both the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the waterway.
Following a process similar to that followed for the introduction of the gas pipeline project, the waterway convened a group of representatives from companies with proven experience in container port operations and container shipping lines.
A market and feasibility study will be conducted for both terminals, following which a general project plan will be developed, which will lead to the initiation of a special process to select a concessionaire.
The selection will include a prequalification phase, an interaction and dialogue stage with prequalified participants, and finally, the selection of the concessionaire.
The final phase of the concessionaire selection is expected to conclude in the fourth quarter of 2026. The process will be transparent and competitive, with participation anticipated by leading global companies, according to a statement released on Monday.
“Within the Panama Canal’s 2025–2035 strategic vision, container terminals are the most significant components of the canal’s supporting infrastructure, second only to the locks and navigation channels. Their development will expand port capacity and maintain the competitiveness of the Panama route.”
The goal of these initiatives is to increase container transhipment capacity by 5 million TEUs per year, strengthen Panama’s position as one of the world’s most competitive intermodal hubs, and expand port capacity in the interoceanic area, which is currently operating near its limit.
Participants included APM Terminals, Cosco Shipping Ports, CMA Terminals–CMA, DP World, Hanseatic Global Terminals, MOL, PSA International, SSA Marine–Grupo Carrix, and Terminal Investment Limited, as well as representatives from CMA CGM, ONE, Evergreen, Hapag Lloyd, HMM, Maersk Line, MSC, OOCL, COSCO, Yang Ming, the Port of Houston and ZIM.
