Panama Canal to Name Terminal Bidders as Expansion Plans Advance

The Panama Canal expects to announce the pre-qualified bidders for a project to build and operate two new container terminals by the end of this year, Administrator Ilya Espino said on Wednesday, advancing a tender process linked to one of the world's most strategic trade corridors.

Speaking at the Houston International Maritime Conference, Espino said the canal authority has evaluated initial proposals, and the shortlisted companies will next receive a request for proposals, moving the project into a more formal bidding stage.

Espino did not elaborate on the pre-qualified companies but said that global shipping heavyweights such as Maersk and MSC, which already operate ports in Panama, could be potential bidders.

The new terminals are part of a broader $8.5 billion expansion plan aimed at turning the Panama Canal into a larger logistics and energy hub beyond its role as a shipping passage, one of the world's most important arteries for maritime trade.

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