TOP container shipping lines and the Mexican Association of Shipping Agents will congregate at the October 11 - 13 TOC Americas Conference in Cancun to discuss how the expanded Panama Canal has ushered in a new era of 'big shipping" for the western hemisphere, and its effects on container trades.
Major carriers to debate impact of Panama Canal on Americas trades TOP container shipping lines and the Mexican Association of Shipping Agents will congregate at the October 11 - 13 TOC Americas Conference in Cancun to discuss how the expanded Panama Canal has ushered in a new era of 'big shipping" for the western hemisphere, and its effects on container trades. As the widened canal starts to welcome 8,000 to 10,000 TEU neopanamax vessels, and with merger-and-acquisition and shipping alliance activity rapidly reshaping the shipping environment, ocean liners will weigh up these developments and contemplate what the future holds. Head of Latin America trade for APL Efrain Osorio is the latest regional liner executive to confirm his attendance. He joins an October 11 session on 'Forecasting the Future of Shipping Networks: the Changing Dynamics of Liner Trades" alongside regional operations manager Maximiliano Alcorta at MSC Chile. Other speakers include vice president Matthias Dietrich of region Caribbean & Latin America west coast for Hamburg Sud, director Vino Kumar of operations and logistics in the Americas at CMA CGM, and managing director Mario Veraldo of Mexico & Middle America at Maersk Line. Former head of operations for Maersk Line for Latin America and the Caribbean, Michael Kaasner Kristiansen, said that shipping lines will use the Panama Canal expansion to "reap much-needed synergies by combining east-west and north-south liner networks, using larger tonnage optimised via transhipment." The upshot is said to be fewer liner services, said Mr Kristiansen, and "larger but fewer business opportunities" for ports and terminals. Understanding how 'big ships, big carriers and big network synergies" will impact regional port and terminal operations - and investment - will be a key part of the debate, with views from APM Terminals, Grupo Mexgal, Port of Cartagena, Ports America, PSA, SSA Mexico, TC Mariel Cuba and Ultramar. Shippers and 3PLs will also have their say on the broader supply chain impact, with guest speaker vice president of trade management in North America for Kuehne + Nagel, Bill Rooney.
