# Neopanamax Locks Have Expanded Shipping Routes | Feed & Grain

> The Panama Canal Authority says its Neopanamax locks, opened in 2016, have expanded its route network to 180 routes serving 1,920 ports in 170 countries. US grain exports through the canal have increased as Chinese soybean demand for feed has grown. Dry bulk grains are the main commodities transiting the canal.

- Date: 2021-04-22 · published 2021-04-22T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/47487-neopanamax-locks-have-expanded-shipping-routes-feed-and-grain
- Commodities: [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md), [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Ocean Grain Freight](https://feedsoft.ai/c/OCEANFRT.md)

## Why it matters

Stronger canal use by US grain shippers to China supports Gulf export flows and ocean freight demand, which can support US grain basis.

## Read by commodity

- SOY: bullish ▲
- CORN: bullish ▲
- OCEANFRT: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| SOY | 2021-11-19 | [Grain Shipping Costs Start to Ease](https://feedsoft.ai/events/43961-grain-shipping-costs-start-to-ease.md) | -1.0% | +1.6% |
| SOY | 2022-04-28 | [Labor issues, idle trains leave U.S. grain and food stranded -shippers](https://feedsoft.ai/events/41856-labor-issues-idle-trains-leave-u-s-grain-and-food-stranded-shippers.md) | -3.3% | -2.6% |
| SOY | 2026-02-12 | [Global Grain Shipments Surge 15% in Early 2026, Boosting Panamax Freight Rates - India Seatrade News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/20812-global-grain-shipments-surge-15-in-early-2026-boosting-panamax-freight-rates.md) | +1.5% | +7.9% |
| SOY | 2018-10-10 | [Excessive Rain Disrupts US River Barge Shipping](https://feedsoft.ai/events/62422-excessive-rain-disrupts-us-river-barge-shipping.md) | +2.5% | +1.0% |
| SOY | 2026-10-01 | [The freight divide: why Black Sea war strikes have pulled shipping rates far above the wider Atlantic Panamax market  - Fastmarkets](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16759-the-freight-divide-why-black-sea-war-strikes-have-pulled-shipping-rates-far.md) | +1.1% | -2.1% |
| CORN | 2025-03-03 | [Freight rates for grain exports from Ukraine have increased \| Ukrainian and World Shipping News - Ukrainian Shipping Magazine - Ukrainian and World Shipping News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/25783-freight-rates-for-grain-exports-from-ukraine-have-increased-ukrainian-and-world.md) | -0.2% | +2.5% |
| CORN | 2021-11-19 | [Grain Shipping Costs Start to Ease](https://feedsoft.ai/events/43961-grain-shipping-costs-start-to-ease.md) | +1.5% | +4.4% |
| CORN | 2022-04-28 | [Labor issues, idle trains leave U.S. grain and food stranded -shippers](https://feedsoft.ai/events/41856-labor-issues-idle-trains-leave-u-s-grain-and-food-stranded-shippers.md) | -7.5% | -2.6% |

## Sources

- feedandgrain.com: https://www.feedandgrain.com/grain-supply-chain/news/15387447/neopanamax-locks-have-expanded-shipping-routes

---
Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.