Extra canal will have positives, negatives

In 1920 the US Maritime Act of 1920 (called The JONES ACT), provides that vessels from another country can only go to one US port. Any other movement of cargo or passengers must be made on US built, US owned, US flagged, and US crewed vessel. Because modern ships are now at least twice the size, the Panama Canal was built to handle ships unloaded on the West Coast. Cargo and passengers were moved by truck, rail or US vessel. That helped build the shipping and freight businesses we have today. Mega West Coast ports employ thousands of longshoreman.

Panama Canal has just opened a new canal which can accommodate this largest ships in the world in case the election, terror attacks and life in general got in the way.

As a result ships can now deliver the cargo to any port on the coastline of the US. Gulf Coast ports and East Coast ports will grow. Truck freight will diminish as well as train freight including oil, gas and chemicals.

The economy will grow in some place and be devastated in others. This is a heads-up.

Rod Davis

Moses Lake