(A) Steamships would travel around land to the US
(B) ** Steamships could reduce travel time to 9 hours
(C) Trading would be more difficult for enemy countries.
(D) Trading would be prevented by military ships.
EXPLANATIONS BELOW
Concept note-1: -More than a century ago, the opening of the Panama Canal revolutionized international trade by making it much quicker and easier to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Concept note-2: -Panama Canal Authority Reduces Time Vessels Take to Travel the Canal by more than 16 Percent. Panama City, Panama – The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) announced today that it has reduced by 16.6 percent, the time a vessel spends in Canal waters until it completes its transit through the waterway.
Concept note-3: -It promulgated the construction of new, larger ships with significant cargo-carrying capacity. It enhanced the posture of the United States as part of the global intermodal container freight sector, helping to move goods faster and cheaper, leading to more prosperity.
Concept note-4: -Ships sailing between the east and west coasts of the United States, which otherwise would be obliged to round Cape Horn in South America, shorten their voyage by about 8, 000 nautical miles (15, 000 km) by using the canal.