US Gulf ports to cash-in on Panama delays

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Break-bulk volumes in the Port of Houston, Gulfport and other ports along the Gulf Coast of the US could be in line to benefit from a delay in the expansion of the Panama Canal, as break-bulk shippers divert their traffic away from West Coast ports.

US-made break-bulk equipment destined for energy production will be moving on larger vessels once the Panama Canal is expanded, meaning much higher ship capacity and lower per-tonne rates for shippers of such equipment.

For break-bulk shippers who use the canal to ship their cargo to and from Asia, the expanded canal locks will open up huge new opportunities.

Recent research at the Milwaukee Lubar School of Business at the University of Wisconsin concludes that as a result of the expansion, export growth in seven eastern US states has already exceeded forecasts.

The research went on to say that the major Gulf Coast break-bulk ports could enjoy significantly higher cargo volumes, especially as they strengthen their port and highway infrastructures over the next 18 months or so, according to the Journal of Commerce.

According to the chief economist of Moffat & Nichol, Walter Kemmsies, exporting production goods from the US will be cheaper because the expansion will lower the cost of moving such goods from the US to major markets outside North America.

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