Author(s)

Hanxun Fan^*, Weihong Gu

College of Transport & Communications, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai, China.

The expansion of the Panama Canal will have a profound impact on the container shipping route network, port layout and ship structure, and promote the evolution of the global shipping pattern. However, most of the research on the expansion of the Panama Canal currently stays before its real expansion, and the quantitative analysis is less and the result is not accurate, because previous research used data that expanded before. Based on the actual data after the expansion of the Panama Canal, this paper uses the dual-target route distribution model to analyze the expansion of the Panama Canal. The changes in the liner shipping plan that have a greater impact on the shipping industry will provide the relevant theoretical basis for the relevant entities. The results show that after the expansion of the Panama Canal, the largest 15,000 TEU container ship is currently deployed on the route through the Panama Canal. 6500 TEU ship type is also deployed on the route through the Panama Canal. The 8500 TEU, 10,500 TEU, and 12,500 TEU ship types are mainly deployed through the Suez Canal. On the route, such a distribution plan can maximize the benefits for the shipping company.

Panama Canal, Ocean Transport, Container Liner, Distributing Ships Model

Fan, H.X. and Gu, W.H. (2019) Study on the Impact of the Panama Canal Expansion on the Distribution of Container Liner Routes. Journal of Transportation Technologies, 9, 204-214. doi: 10.4236/jtts.2019.92013.