The Panama Canal is undergoing an expansion. And that means ports along the East Coast have to expand too in order to accommodate bigger ships.
The Army Corps of Engineers is looking at Port Everglades which hopes to dredge in about 5 years. Port Miami's expansion project is already well underway.
But there's no guarantee that just because a port expands that the new, extra large ships will come.
International Business Reporter Mimi Whitefield is writing a series on the Panama Canal expansion for the Miami Herald. She says no one wants to be left out.
"It's not just preparing for the expansion of the Panama Canal, it's preparing for what the shipping industry will become in the next 20 to 25 years", said Whitefield. "Increasingly shipping companies will be using these big ships."
Whitefield says East Coast port officials believe these expansion projects will allow them to compete with West Coast ports - the biggest in the country.
"It's an argument that this all water route through the Panama Canal on up to Miami is cheaper", said Whitefield. "So, they will never beat the west coast on speed but they could beat the west coast in terms of cost of delivery."
Bigger ports and deeper water are not the only factors in getting these new super-sized ships.
Cost, red tape and customs also play into how shipping companies decide which ports to use.