The Panama Canal serves as an essential artery for logistics between North and South America. Numerous ships pass through the Panama Canal to the Pacific Ocean or the Atlantic Ocean every day. The canal has recently been renovated to receive more giant ships, so now HMM's 16,000 TEU-class mega containership can pass through the channel.
Without the Panama Canal, many ships would have to travel around the continent of South America to their destinations. Vessels using the Panama Canal sail about 15,000km shorter than they would around the South American continent. The canal was completed and began to be used in 1914 and was expanded in 2016, allowing HMM's 16K (366m long) vessels to pass through.