Over $5 billion in total investment, 12.6 million cubic meters of earth removed, 2,600 workers and the world's largest dredger.
Withstanding high temperatures and humidity, the 1,389 operators who are currently working on the expansion project are making a great effort so that the companies that got the expansion contracts can meet established deadlines.
Compared to the 2007 record of 8 billion tons in transports, global maritime commerce fell substantially in 2008, dragged down by the crisis.
A good indication of this is the decrease in the Baltic Dry Index, which is composed of the prices of the maritime transportation of dry cargo. In November 2008, the index was 891 points while the index had reached 11,973 in May of that year - suffering in that period a fall of 11 times its value.
Even though the price of fuel has gone down in the last few month, the cost of internal shipping by container in Panama has gone up.
Yasmina De Hoyos, a customs agent, said that the cargo transporters used to charge between $220 and $250 to transport a container from any port in colon to Panama, but for a few months now they have been charging $350.
The president of the Panama Maritime Chamber (CMP), Ruben Karamañites proposes that a Maritime Ministry be established.
In order for the maritime sector, which represents 20% of the GDP of Panama, to have representation on the Cabinet Council, the creation of a Maritime Ministry is being proposed.
The CMP is comprised of more than 130 members including ports, shipping, railroad, and environmental agencies, auxiliary maritime industries, insurance adjusters, maritime lawyers, to name a few.