Ancon News

Naval maritime forces from 19 countries are gathering in Lima, Peru, to kick off the 58th iteration of the annual multilateral exercise UNITAS. The meeting will conclude on July 26. This year's exercise will be hosted by Peru and commanded by Peruvian navy Rear Adm. Alberto Alcala. Participating countries include the United States, Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Australia, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Italy, Panama, Mexico, Spain, Canada, and the United Kingdom. While participating in UNITAS 2017, U.S. forces will be under the operational control of Commander, Task Force (CTF) 138/U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet (USNAVSO/FOURTHFLT) Rear Adm. Sean Buck.

The container vessel COSCO Shipping Panama set sail from the Greek Port of Piraeus today on its way to Panama to make history. The Neopanamax vessel will make the inaugural transit of the Expanded Panama Canal on Sunday, June 26, after a 14-day journey. Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano met with COSCO Shipping Panama’s Captain Jude Rodrigues and crew members prior to the ship’s departure. “I am very excited to be here today to witness the sailing of the ship from Greece, but also meet the Captain and his crew,” said Administrator Quijano. “We are very pleased to be here watching it leave from Port of Piraeus. “I had transited the Panama Canal many times before and it has been a great experience…

The Panama Canal has  received  Cerro Ancon, the last of the 14 tractor tugs of its new fleet. These new tugboats will allow the Canal to offer a more efficient service to the global shipping industry and strengthen the waterway's capacity for the operation of the Third Set of Locks. The tugboats have been gradually arriving to Panama from Spain since June 2013. Astilleros Armon, S.A., a Spanish ship-building company, was awarded the contract in September 2011. The tender was opened to wide competition with the participation of 20 companies from South America, Europe and Asia.

The Panama Canal celebrates today a century of operations connecting the world, committed to completing its Expansion, the largest infrastructure project of the waterway since its opening. "Going forward, the Panama Canal will continue to connect the world, supported by all the modernization efforts since its construction,” said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano. The Panama Canal opened to world trade on August 15, 1914 with the passage of SS Ancon. Ever since, the 80-kilometer waterway has registered over 1,055,000 transits reducing distances, time and shipping costs.

On August 15, the Panama Canal will celebrated 96 years of safe, reliable and efficient service to global trade. The SS Ancon officially inaugurated the waterway on its first transit August 15, 1914. Today, the Canal continues as a viable global transportation and logistics leader, connecting more than 144 different trade routes and uniting the world. As the historic $5.25b Expansion Program continues as planned, the Panama Canal Authority looks optimistically forward to the future and remains committed to providing top-notch service for years to come.

Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) has fully acquired Fawley-based agency Furness Marine Services Ltd (FMS), the second major acquisition it has completed in 2004. ISS is now 12 months into its two-year plan to double the size of its business through organic growth and strategic acquisitions. Following last month’s acquisition of the Ancon depot facility in the Port of Antwerp and several mergers and acquisitions completed in 2003, that plan is well on schedule to be met or exceeded within the expected timeframe. Independent shipping agency FMS was the result of a management buyout of Furness Withy Agency in 1993. Furness Withy had held a contract with Esso since 1985 and FMS has continued working with the international oil and gas major ever since.

Dubbed "The Greatest Engineering Wonder of the World," the Panama Canal has experienced a whirlwind run since President Woodrow Wilson flicked a switch of the first gushes of water to flow through the 51-mile body of water that is arguably the most important shipping channel in world. It was 1914 and it was as though Central America and Europe — situated at opposite sides of the Atlantic — were worlds apart. For it was in the Central American country of Panama where workers from many nations joined forces to build the massive Panama Canal, while hostilities in Europe were quickly leading to WWI. Together, these workers, who came from all walks of life and all different backgrounds - all shared one dream - to be part of a piece of history that to this day…