The Panama Canal, which just celebrated its 100th anniversary and is completing its first expansion, is already is contemplating the necessity for additional capacity to meet the increasing demands of world trade, and may require furhter expansion in the next 25 years, expalined its director Jorge Quijano.

"In 25 years I think a fourth set of locks will be built," he had told reporters during an official ceremony organized at Colon, in the north of the country. During this act, which took on one of the towers of the canal, the administrator has buried a box filled with various materials and objects related to the current expansion project, which will have to be dug up in 25 years. At that time, "I'm sure the fourth set of locks will be built," he has said, to cope with demand rising steadily.

The Panama Canal, through which 5% of world maritime trade, currently working on his extension, with the establishment of a third set of locks for the passage of boats three times the capacity of those currently circulating. The site, at an estimated 5.25 billion total cost, took a delay of one year and should now be completed in late 2015.

Testing of the new locks will begin in July or August, said Jorge Quijano.

Since the opening of the canal in 1914, more than one million ships have borrowed, mainly American and Chinese vessels trade, but it suffers from the competition of the Suez Canal, the Egyptian government has announced the next expansion, while Nicaragua wants to build its own canal.