Editing Panama Canal (section)

==== Expansion and Increased Trade Capacity ====
The expansion of the Panama Canal, completed in 2016,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Panama Canal |url=http://www.pancanal.com/}}</ref> allowed for the transit of larger Neopanamax ships, nearly tripling its previous capacity. This development had a profound impact on global trade routes, particularly for container ships, [[liquefied natural gas]] (LNG) carriers, and [[Bulk cargo|bulk commodities]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Chantziara |first=Thalia |date=1988 |title=Panama's Canal: The US Departure and Panama's New Era |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/42763996 |journal=Harvard International Review |volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=14–16 |jstor=42763996}}</ref> By accommodating larger vessels, the canal has helped reduce transportation costs for major exporters such as the [[United States]], [[China]], and [[Japan]].<ref name=":2">{{cite journal | jstor=2128198 | last1=Tate | first1=Mercer D. | title=The Panama Canal and Political Partnership | journal=The Journal of Politics | date=1963 | volume=25 | issue=1 | pages=119–138 | doi=10.2307/2128198 }}</ref> Additionally, it has shifted trade dynamics by increasing the viability of East Coast ports in the United States, which have experienced higher traffic as a result of the expansion.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=United |first=States |date=1914 |title=Canal treaties. Executive documents presented to the United States Senate, together with proceedings by the Senate theron relative to the Panama Canal. |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100346769/Home |journal=Washington, Govt. Print. Off.|series=Treaties, etc }}</ref>