These kinds of declarations of monumental projects have a habit of dying early. I'll believe it NOT when ground is broken, but when the first trucks start rolling through. I'd like to see it happen, but I doubt it will have a major impact on our (USA) economy soon and not as big as people think. Simply because shipping is quite efficient and cost effective. Largest freighters now can carry about 15,000 TEUs. Perhaps enough to fill 7,500 tractor trailers. And there are plans to build 20,000 TEU ships. The shipping costs you incur for buying Chinese products is quite negligible thanks in great deal to the monstrous size of these ships and the economy of scales they engender.
Our biggest pacific trading partner is China, so hauling cargo from China to California is roughly a half circle. Contrast this to going in a straight line. The economics of this suggest it's not going to happen.
A bigger impact on the global economy is the melting polar ice cap, and the increasing year round access of the Northwest Passage in Canada.
Slashdot Mirror
These kinds of declarations of monumental projects have a habit of dying early. I'll believe it NOT when ground is broken, but when the first trucks start rolling through. I'd like to see it happen, but I doubt it will have a major impact on our (USA) economy soon and not as big as people think. Simply because shipping is quite efficient and cost effective. Largest freighters now can carry about 15,000 TEUs. Perhaps enough to fill 7,500 tractor trailers. And there are plans to build 20,000 TEU ships. The shipping costs you incur for buying Chinese products is quite negligible thanks in great deal to the monstrous size of these ships and the economy of scales they engender. Our biggest pacific trading partner is China, so hauling cargo from China to California is roughly a half circle. Contrast this to going in a straight line. The economics of this suggest it's not going to happen. A bigger impact on the global economy is the melting polar ice cap, and the increasing year round access of the Northwest Passage in Canada.