Panama plans to hold a referendum later this year on expansion of the canal. Under the Panamanian Constitution, the decision to expand the interoceanic waterway can only be made by the people in a ...

Panama's voters approved a 2006 referendum authorizing a major expansion of the canal to accommodate larger modern cargo ships. The expansion took until 2016 and cost more than $5.2 billion.

The Panama Canal can now accommodate vessels that are longer, wider and heavier than before, thanks to a new expansion that was nine years in the making. The facelift was crucial to compete in a ...