The Future of the Panama Canal

The Panama Canal, one of the world’s greatest engineering feats, remains a vital shortcut for global shipping more than a century after its construction. It is the lifeblood of the Panamanian economy, generating $5 billion in the last fiscal year. It is also a vital commercial artery for the United States, its top user.

Today, however, the Panama Canal faces challenges to its long-term viability. Climate change has led to prolonged droughts that in recent months resulted in restrictions to the number and size of ships permitted to cross the isthmus. The best solution, a new reservoir, would require $1.6 billion and six years to construct. In the meantime, the new US authorities have raised concerns about rising tolls and the control by a Chinese company of two ports in Panama. These challenges, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent trip to the Miraflores locks, have brought growing global attention to the Panama Canal.

Join the Wilson Center’s Latin America Program on Thursday, February 13, 2025, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am ET, for an in-person conversation with President Mulino’s International Affairs Advisory Committee member, Alberto Alemán Zubieta, and former US Ambassador to Panama John Feeley. We will discuss the future of this global trade hub amid complex operational and geostrategic hurdles.