THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF THE PANAMA CANAL

The net present economic value of the Panama Canal, based on an alternative cost measure of willingness to pay for services, is estimated. In order to obtain the estimate the likely shift in marine transportation patterns, should the canal become unavailable, is described. The net present economic value of the canal to the world is estimated to be on the order of $6 billion, and the value to the United States is approximately $1.6 billion. Values in this range may well be judged by the Congress and President to be less significant than potential effects in other important objective dimensions stemming from a new Panama Canal treaty.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Also available from Engineering Societies Library.
• Corporate Authors:

  American Geophysical Union

  1909 K Street, NW, Division of Hydrology
  Washington, DC  United States  20006
• Authors:
  • Gibbs, S R
• Publication Date: 1978-4

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 185-189
• Serial:
  • Water Resources Research
  • Volume: 14
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: American Geophysical Union

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Analysis; Canals; Conservation; Costs; Economic analysis; Freight transportation
• Identifier Terms: Panama Canal
• Uncontrolled Terms: Cost analysis; Resource management
• Old TRIS Terms: Cargo transportation
• Subject Areas: Economics; Environment; Finance; Freight Transportation; Marine Transportation; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00179407
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: American Geophysical Union
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 27 1978 12:00AM