巴拿马运河管理局（Panama Canal Authority）局长里克特·瓦斯奎兹（Ricaurte Vasquez）在最近的一次会议上表示，该管理局正在制定计划，在未来几年将通过这条重要水道的集装箱数量增加一倍。
该决定是一项80亿美元投资计划的一部分，该计划旨在增加集装箱运力、节约用水，并提高运河在大西洋和太平洋之间的贸易效率。
在2023年底和2024年初严重干旱阻碍了运河的交通后，当局推出了一项节水战略，以满足日益增长的集装箱运输需求。
Vasquez分享说，运河要求航运公司将货物装载量结合起来，特别是集装箱船，这样每次运输都会用更少的水。
集装箱船目前是运河运营中最重要的部分。当局还计划在运河西岸开发土地，以增加货物卸载和通过卡车、铁路或其他船只转运的能力。
到2045年，运河的集装箱总容量将增加500万标准箱（20英尺当量单位），每年的集装箱处理能力将达到1300万标准箱左右。
该运河于2016年扩建，包括第三套船闸，允许大型集装箱船通过，并将重点从散货船转移到集装箱。
Vasquez表示，尽管干旱限制已经解除，但由于欧洲的强劲需求和具有竞争力的运输成本，美国液化天然气生产商正在使用其他路线。
不过，亚洲对液化天然气需求的增加可能会导致明年更多的液化天然气船重返运河。
运河还引进了新的预定系统，明年将为集装箱和液化天然气船提供40%的最大码头容量。
这样可以改进调度并确保可靠的传输时段。
Vasquez还对美国和中国之间可能出现的贸易紧张局势表示担忧，这将影响运河交通，特别是液化天然气运输。
他说，对中国商品征收高关税可能会扰乱贸易，运河正在密切关注事态发展。
▲Image for representation purposes only
英文原文
The Panama Canal Authority is working on plans to double the number of containers passing through its crucial waterway in the coming years, according to its chief, Ricaurte Vasquez, who spoke at a recent conference.
The decision is part of an $8 billion investment plan to increase container capacity, conserve water, and improve the canal’s efficiency for trade between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
After a severe drought that hindered the canal’s traffic in late 2023 and early 2024, the authority introduced a water-saving strategy to meet the increased demand for container transport.
Vasquez shared that the canal is asking shipping companies to combine their cargo loads, especially for container ships, so that each transit uses less water.
Container ships are currently the most important part of the canal’s operations. The authority also plans to develop land on the canal’s west bank to increase cargo offloading and transfer capacity through trucks, rail or other ships.
The upgrade could increase the canal’s total container capacity by 5 million TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) per year by 2045, totalling the container handling capacity to around 13 million TEUs annually.
The canal was previously expanded in 2016 to include a third set of locks, allowing larger container ships to pass and shifting its focus from bulk carriers to containers.
Vasquez said that, despite the fact that drought restrictions have been lifted, U.S LNG producers are using other routes because of strong demand in Europe and competitive shipping costs.
Still, increased LNG demand in Asia could lead to more LNG ships returning to the canal next year.
The canal also introduced a new reservation system, providing container and LNG ships 40% of the largest dock capacity for next year.
This improves scheduling and ensures reliable transit slots.
Vasquez also expressed concern over possible trade tensions between the U.S. and China, which would impact canal traffic, especially for LNG shipments.
He said that high tariffs on Chinese goods could disrupt trade and the canal is keeping a close watch on developments.
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