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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Robert W. West, a consultant with more than 25 years experience in trade, transportation and economic development in Latin America, will speak on “Panama Canal: An Expanding Tool for Globalization” at the World Affairs Council of South Texas luncheon Friday, May 30, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz International Center, 402 Harbor Drive.

West, past managing director of Maritime Services at Global Insight, Inc, is an authority on the expansion of the Panama Canal. The enlargement of the canal currently underway will allow for wider ships to pass through the man-made gate between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and will double its capacity to handle sea traffic. As the nation’s sixth largest port, Corpus Christi is poised to take advantage of this expansion through the construction of the proposed La Quinta Container Terminal.