Canal Affairs News

Dr. Ricaurte Vásquez Morales was sworn-in during a ceremony held at the Panama Canal Administration Building in Panama City, becoming the fourth Panamanian Administrator of the waterway shortly before it celebrates its 20th year under Panamanian administration on December 31, 2019.Administrator Vásquez an economist with more than 30 years’ experience in the public and private sector said: "Just a few months short of the 20th anniversary of the transfer of the Canal to the Panamanian people, we face a distinctly different reality today. Trade now travels along different routes.""This new global reality, in which the Canal operates, requires us to redefine and adapt our business.

The Panama Canal Board of Directors announced the appointment of Ricaurte Vasquez as the next Panama Canal Administrator.According to a press note from the artificial 82 km waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean, Vasquez will take office on September 4, 2019, succeeding current Administrator Jorge L. Quijano, who concludes his seven-year term at the helm of the waterway.The decision was made by the Board of Directors in accordance to an independent, transparent and rigorous process mandated by the Panamanian Constitution and Organic Law of the Panama Canal Authority."As part of the Panama Canal Authority's autonomous institutional process…

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with major UK ports operator, Peel Ports, who own the Port of Liverpool, as the latter gears up for the formal opening of its Liverpool2 container terminal in early November. The formal agreement creates a strategic alliance aimed at facilitating international trade and generating new business by promoting trade routes between Liverpool and the west coast of South America via the Panama Canal. The agreement was signed October 24 by Jorge L.

Members of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Board of Directors and Administration returned to Panama after having traveled to Asia for the 24th joint meeting of its Advisory Board. The delegation met in Japan with the group of distinguished advisers to discuss Canal operations and performance, progress on the Expansion Program, training programs and future projects that will enhance the reliable service offered by the expanded Canal. The Board of Directors were encouraged by the discussions held and the Canal’s progress-to-date. Currently, all eight gates on the Atlantic side have been installed, and the Expansion Program is now 88 percent complete.

In a visit to the Port of Savannah, Panama’s Minister for Canal Affairs Roberto Roy described progress on the canal expansion and heard the latest news on deepening the Savannah Harbor to 47 feet. “With the historic expansion of the Panama Canal nearing completion, I applaud Georgia for making the improvement of its port infrastructure a fiscal priority,” said Roy, who also serves as Panama Canal Board Chairman. The Record of Decision, signifying final federal approval for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project, was issued in October 2012.

Panama Canal Authority Board of Directors appoints new Canal Administrator. The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Board of Directors announced today the appointment of engineer Jorge Luis Quijano as the new Panama Canal Administrator. Mr. Quijano will succeed Alberto Alemán Zubieta, who has been at the helm of the Canal for the past 16 years and whose term will end on September 3, 2012. “We are proud to announce the appointment of Jorge Quijano as the new Canal Administrator. The Board of Directors…

Panama President and Canal Authorities Commemorate New Milestone in Canal Expansion Work. Panama President Ricardo Martinelli witnessed a new milestone at the Canal Expansion with the filling of a segment of the new access channel that will allow the transit of Post-panamax vessels between the new Locks and the Culebra Cut. Panama Canal Authority Board of Directors Chairman and Canal Affairs Minister Rómulo Roux and Panama Canal Authority Administrator Alberto Alemán Zubieta accompanied…

This week the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) welcomed dignitaries to the Atlantic expansion site in Colón, including:  Belize Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega; Colombia President Álvaro Uribe; Costa Rica Vice President Alfio Piva Mesén; Dominican Republic Vice President Rafael Albuquerque; Guatemala President Álvaro Colom; Honduras President Porfirio Lobo; Italy Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Spain Vice President Manuel Chaves. The delegation, in Panama for the Central American Integration System (SICA) summit…

December 31, 2009, marked a decade of management of the Panama Canal by Panama. This vital trade artery has long stood as one of the world’s most recognized and respected engineering marvels and a crucial link in the global supply chain. Building on this, the decade of Panamanian stewardship and leadership has been evidenced by change, achievement and growth. By nearly every measure, the Canal’s role in world trade and value to global commerce has increased significantly in the past 10 years.

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) hosted Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper today, during his first official visit to the Republic of Panama. Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli, Panamanian Vice President Juan Carlos Varela, ACP Board Chairman and Minister for Canal Affairs Romulo Roux, along with ACP Administrator/CEO Alberto Alemán Zubieta, greeted the Prime Minister and briefed him on the latest developments surrounding the waterway’s historic Expansion Program – which continues to progress on-time and on-budget, to-date.

Manning the controls of a large cutter suction dredge, Panamanian President Martín Torrijos kicked off the Pacific sea entrance dredging work for the waterway’s expansion on Nov. 17. He was accompanied by First Vice-President and Minister of Foreign Affairs Samuel Lewis Navarro, Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Board Chair and Minister of Canal Affairs Dani Kuzniecky and ACP Administrator/CEO Alberto Alemán Zubieta. In April 2008, the ACP awarded Belgium-based Dredging International the $177.5 million contract to dredge the Pacific sea entrance…

Wrapping up its fifteenth meeting in Panama, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Board of Directors briefed the ACP Advisory Board on expansion progress. During the meeting, held in Panama February 11-12, Board members convened to discuss strategy and trends in the shipping industry. ACP Administrator/CEO Alberto Alemán Zubieta briefed the Advisory Board – composed of global business, maritime and trade experts – on issues regarding Canal operations and the waterway’s historic expansion project. The meeting was jointly presided over by Panamanian Minister for Canal Affairs and ACP Board of Directors Chairman Dani Ariel Kuzniecky and Advisory Board Chairman and former Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization William A. O’Neil.

MOL hosted a party to celebrate the grand opening of its new Panama Vessel Operation Center in Panama City, Panama on December 9, 2003. Some of the guests in attendance included: Mr. Joaquin Jacome, Minister of Commerce; Mr. Jerry Salazar, Minister of Canal Affairs; and Mr. Shuji Shimokoji, Ambassador of Japan. Considering Panama to be one of the world’s key maritime centers, the company established MOL (Panama) Inc. in May 2003, which is responsible for handling all commercial activities for MOL’s liner division in Panama. The responsibilities of MOL (Panama) Inc. were increased last month when it was named a regional office in charge of managing the activities of MOL’s Caribbean and Central America shipping agents.

On January 27, 2004, in a formal ceremony at the Industrial Shipyard Division, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) inaugurated the first ship - an aluminum launch - that was entirely built by the hands of its employees on-site in Panama. The construction of the Launch in Panama helped to create new skill sets for ACP employees and to save money. Keeping with the ACP tradition of naming the boat after a fish, the Launch was christened the "Lenguado" or "Dover Sole" by Canal Administrator Alberto Alemán Zubieta…

Israel's former Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, toured the Miraflores Locks at the Panama Canal today as part of a one-day private visit to the country. Netanyahu was welcomed at the Miraflores Visitors Center by Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Minister for Canal Affairs and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dani Kuzniecky. The ACP briefed the ex-Prime Minister about Canal operations from the Miraflores Control Center and gave a presentation on the progress of the Expansion Program. Benjamin Netanyahu was Prime Minister of Israel between 1996 and 1999.

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP), along with the Government of Panama, participated in The Business Roundtable, organized by Economist Conferences, a division of the Economist Intelligence Unit in Panama. During the forum, Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs Samuel Lewis Navarro, ACP Board of Directors Chairman and Minister of Canal Affairs Dani Kuzniecky, ACP Administrator/CEO Alberto Alemán Zubieta and Coyne et Bellier’s Executive Vice President for Strategy and Development, Jean Binquet discussed the importance of the Canal’s expansion as one of the main projects for the country’s economic development. Panama is leveraging its two primary assets, its natural geographic position and the Panama Canal, to create an aggressive development strategy.

Former Comptroller General Dani Ariel Kuzniecky Barsky officially assumed his new position as chairman of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Board of Directors at an inaugural ceremony conducted at the presidential palace last Monday. Among the first duties in his new role, Kuzniecky headed an ACP commission to present the second quarterly expansion report to the National Assembly of Panama. He also presided over the ACP Board of Directors meeting, where the proposal to restructure the Panama Canal's pricing system for the next three years was approved. Following the decision made by the Board, Mr. Kuzniecky submitted the proposal to the Cabinet Council of the Republic of Panama, which later provided final approval on the proposal Wednesday afternoon.

Panamanian President Martín Torrijos joined the Panama Canal Authority Advisory Board meeting and underscored the Advisory Board’s critical role in ensuring the overall governance, transparency and oversight of the Canal particularly related to the upcoming Canal expansion. The Advisory Board commended the ACP on the impressive results of the referendum. The Board also applauded the people of Panama for their overwhelming support on the historic referendum and reiterated its support for the project, which will significantly impact both the development of Panama and world maritime trade. The announcement was made by the Advisory Board Chairman, Mr. William A. O’Neil, during the thirteenth Advisory Board meeting. ACP Board of Directors Chairman and Minister for Canal Affairs, Dr.

The voting began on Sunday morning, where the enthusiasm and energy was apparent as each voter played their part in this historic event that determined the direction and future of the Canal and Panama. By law, expansion, or the “third set of locks project,” must be put to a vote in a popular referendum. The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) presented its formal proposal to the Panamanian government in April. expansion, as of 9:30 p.m. EDT. “Today, Panamanians made history. Dr. Ricaurte Vásquez Morales, chairman of the ACP’s board of directors and concurrent minister for Canal affairs. “We spent years studying, researching and preparing and we are ready. transparently. and maintain the Canal’s competitive advantage,” Vásquez concluded.

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) presented its expansion proposal at the Caribbean Shipping Association’s (CSA) 36th Annual General Meeting, Conference and Exhibition, held in Panama for the first time, on October 16-18, 2006. The conference was inaugurated by Dr. Ricaurte Vásquez, Minister of Canal Affairs and President of the ACP Board of Directors. The annual CSA conference provides its members an opportunity to discuss the latest trends and issues in cargo and cruise shipping, terminal and port operations and port industrial relations. A key highlight of this conference was a tour of the Panama Canal. CSA members took a partial transit through the waterway onboard a ship – starting at Gamboa, going through the Pedro Miguel and Miraflores Locks and ending at Fort Amador Marina.

Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Board Chairman and Concurrent Minister of Canal Affairs Dr. Ricaurte Vásquez Morales spoke at a private-sector forum hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) in Tokyo, Japan last Friday, September 22. Dr. Vásquez briefed forum participants on the Panama Canal expansion proposal, as well as highlighted investment and business opportunities in the areas of infrastructure, multi-modal transportation, information technology and logistics. The forum was designed to strengthen and develop partnerships between business leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean with their counterparts in Japan and other East Asian countries.

Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo visited the Panama Canal Saturday, September 16. Foreign Minister Yeo traveled to Panama as part of an official delegation, which also included Panamanian Ambassador to Singapore Eduardo Real. The delegation was received at the Miraflores Visitors Center by Minister of Canal Affairs and concurrent Panama Canal Authority Board Chairman Dr. Ricaurte Vásquez, who briefed them on the expansion proposal and Canal operations. Earlier this year, Singapore signed a Free Trade Agreement with Panama. Foreign Minister Yeo shared with Dr. Vásquez that, “Singapore is a maritime hub. We live on trade. And the more open the world is to free movement of ships, the better it is for Singapore.

Panama have approved the proposal to expand the Panama Canal. Yesterday, Dr. Ricaurte Vásquez, Chairman of the Panama Canal Authority’s (ACP) Board of Directors and concurrent Minister for Canal Affairs, submitted the said proposal to the National Assembly. The National Assembly will review the proposal and hold discussions that will be open to all Panamanian citizens. If approved, the Assembly will then create a law mandating a referendum to be held after 90 days in which the people of Panama will vote on expansion. The Panama Canal expansion would be the largest project at the Canal since its original construction. The project would double the waterway’s capacity and allow more traffic by creating a new lane along the Canal through the construction of a new set of locks.