Logistics platforms are proliferating near both ends of the Panama Canal, vying for business from the Panama Canal expansion, reports the American Journal of Transportatio.

When completed in 2016, the canal will nearly triple the capacity of the vessels that can transit the waterway, said the report.

Shippers are finding they can make cost-savings by performing certain manufacturing tasks in free zone areas near the canal and by transshipping through one of Panama's various terminals.

On the site of the former US Howard Air Force Base on the Pacific side of the canal near Panama City, is Panama Pacifico, a global logistics centre catering to the needs of multinationals.

The 3,450-acre project is a large mixed use development that includes apartments, clinics, parks and recreation facilities, as well as office, retail and warehouse space. But its biggest benefit is its location in a Special Economic Zone (SEZ). This means companies can perform-valued added production tax free.

Already more than 200 companies are located there, including 3M, DELL, VF, BASF, and Caterpillar. Eight companies are Fortune 500 companies and 16 are Forbes Global 2,000 companies.

"There is big interest in value added from computer chips, automotive divisions, some construction companies that specialise in additives, and pharma packaging and repacking services for different regions," says managing director, Panama Pacifico, Henry Kardonski.