Panama Canal widening impact overblown?

[thelakelander]

Panama Canal expansion might not impact East Coast immediately

There are two schools of thought when it comes to the 2015 expansion of the Panama Canal.
One says it will bring a watershed of new imports to ports from New York to Miami. The other says the amount of cargo that shifts from West Coast ports to the East Coast will not be so great, at least not immediately.

"When you hear this talk about the Panama Canal expansion, take a step back and realize, probably nobody's got the answer," he said. "And the people who are going to drive it are the shippers, and the advantages it offers to shippers."

Shipping from the West Coast will continue to be attractive as a time-saving option, because product from Asia hits U.S. shores there sooner and gets handed off to railroads, which are faster than ships. That can save eight to 12 days of shipping time.

full article: http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2013/08/13/panama-canal-widening-might-not-impact.html