Many continue to see an advantage for East coast ports due to the impending opening of the Panama Canal. Regardless, the west coast ports need to continue their relentless drive for productivity and service to the end customer. To know if they will succeed, see what measures they do take, and especially which ones actually improve service for the end customer, not just for ocean carriers and transport operators.
The Panama Canal expands in 2016, allowing for more and larger (post-Panamax) ships to make the passage from East Asia to the United States.
Source: The Panama Canal Expansion: Time Versus Cost Trade-Off – Supply Chain 24/7
Here’s the report:
Supply Chain and Logistics 