Panama Canal forms deal to optimize vaccine distribution

The Panama Canal is working with local port officials to optimize supply routes for the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines and supplies to Latin America, officials from the canal said earlier this month.

Panama Canal officials have signed memorandums of understanding with Panama Ports Company (PPC) and PSA Panama International Terminal (PSA Panama) to cooperate on a range of issues related to improving supply lines for Covid-19 relief. That includes undertaking joint initiatives to explore forming a logistics hub on the Pacific side of the Panama Canal for storage and distribution of the vaccine and related supplies for the region. 

The Panama Canal will explore the development of additional facilities, power sources, and connection roads to both terminals on the Pacific side, officials said. PSA Panama and PPC will collaborate on the design and equipment needed to transport containers of the vaccine between the terminals and the facilities, they also said. In addition, the ports will provide operational expertise to “explore their current terminal’s capacities to handle increased refrigerated containers,” according to the agreement.