The inaugural transit began with the passage of the Neopanamax container ship Cosco Shipping Panama through the Agua Clara Locks on the Atlantic side of the country and finished with its passage through the Cocoli Locks on the Pacific side.
The first liquefied natural gas vessel is slated to move through the canal in late July.
The expansion, which triples the size of ships that can travel the canal, allows the country to host 98% of the world's shipping and is aimed at wresting market share from rival Suez and US land routes made cheaper by low oil prices.
