In Export Activity Boosts Washington’s Economy, the second part of our series Trade and Transportation, we look at export activity and the ports.

There is stiff competition among ports for export business. Traditionally, Washington’s biggest competitors have been other ports on the U.S. west coast. . . .

Washington’s ports face additional competition on the west coast from British Columbia. . . .

In the future the competition won’t just be from west coast ports. The Panama Canal Authority is in the midst of an eight-year project to expand the canal. . . . The larger ships are expected to significantly decrease the cost of direct ocean shipping between ports on the East and Gulf coasts and ports in Asia.

(Trade-Dependent Washington Relies on Rail is the first part of the series.)

Interestingly, this activity was considered by Goethe in 1827. Regarding a passage through Panama, from Conversations of Goethe with Eckermann and Soret (as translated from the German by John Oxenford):

“[Alexander von] Humboldt,” said Goethe, “has, with a great knowledge of his subject, given other points where, by making use of some streams which flow into the Gulf of Mexico, the end may be perhaps better attained than at Panama. All this is reserved for the future, and for an enterprising spirit. So much, however, is certain, that, if they succeed in cutting such a canal that ships of any burden and size can be navigated through it from the Mexican Gulf to the Pacific Ocean, innumerable benefits would result to the whole human race, civilized and uncivilized. But I should wonder if the United States were to let an opportunity escape of getting such work into their own hands. It may be foreseen that this young state, with its decided predilection to the West, will, in thirty or forty years, have occupied and peopled the large tract of land beyond the Rocky Mountains. It may, furthermore, be foreseen that along the whole coast of the Pacific Ocean, where nature has already formed the most capacious and secure harbours, important commercial towns will gradually arise, for the furtherance of a great intercourse between China and the East Indies and the United States. In such a case, it would not only be desirable, but almost necessary, that a more rapid communication should be maintained between the eastern and western shores of North America, both by merchant-ships and
men-of-war, than has hitherto been possible with the tedious, disagreeable, and expensive voyage around Cape Horn. I therefore repeat, that it is absolutely indispensable for the United States to effect a passage from the Mexican Gulf to the Pacific Ocean; and I am certain that they will do it. . . .”

Of course, the Panama Canal was opened in 1914. Meanwhile, the transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869.

(Thanks to my dad for reading Conversations of Goethe and sending this along.)