Panama Canal begins industry engagement for the development of port terminals

The Panama Canal 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 Panama Canal convened a group of representatives from companies with proven experience in container port operations and container shipping lines.

According to institutional rules and regulations, this session was a working meeting, accessible only by invitation to each participant.

Representatives from APM Terminals, Cosco Shipping Ports, CMA Terminals–CMA, DP World, Hanseatic Global Terminals, MOL, PSA International, SSA Marine–Grupo Carrix, and Terminal Investment Limited participated, 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.

Next steps

As part of this business process, a market and feasibility study will be conducted for both terminals. Following this stage, 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. This process will be transparent and competitive, with participation anticipated by leading global companies.

The Panama Canal reaffirms its commitment to transparency, responsible planning, and adherence to institutional procedures, in line with its mission to promote the sustainable and competitive development of Panama’s maritime system.

Port development initiatives

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.

An estimated investment of B/.2.6 million is projected for both terminals, with an expected economic impact of between 0.4% and 0.8% of Panama’s GDP.

Additionally, approximately 8,100 jobs are expected to be generated during construction, and around 9,000 jobs once operations begin. These figures include direct, indirect, and induced employment.

The goal of these initiatives is to increase container transshipment capacity by 5 million TEUs (20-foot container units) 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.

With this vision, the Panama Canal reaffirms its commitment to Panama and the global community to remain a driver of global trade and economic development while fostering fairer, more resilient, and sustainable progress for all Panamanians.