At the request of the export union, the Alvarado administration announced that it will negotiate with APM Terminals, a possible reduction in rates currently charged for loading and unloading of containers.
From the Cadexco statement:
San Jose, December 19, 2019. As representatives of the export sector, we see with positivism this great step taken by the Government authorities to negotiate the current rates of the Container Terminal of Moin (TCM), since a request led by the Chamber of Exporters of Costa Rica (CADEXCO) is being considered in conjunction with other business chambers, which was delivered to the President of the Republic.
Between January and October 2019, the national port system mobilized 77 thousand metric tons of cargo, a figure 11% higher than that reported in the same period of 2018.
According to figures from the General Comptroller of the Republic only last October reported a 3% year-on-year increase in cargo movement, rising from 7.5 million metric tons in the tenth month of 2018 to 7.8 million metric tons in the same period of 2019.
Between January and September 2019, in the national port system of Panama were mobilized 69 thousand metric tons of cargo, a figure 12% higher than that reported in the same period of 2018.
According to figures from the General Comptroller of the Republic only last September reported a 29% year-on-year increase in cargo movement, rising from 7 million metric tons in the ninth month of 2018 to 9.1 million metric tons in the same period of 2019.
Panamanian businessmen warn that the bills advancing in the National Assembly concerning health and safety standards for work in ports, put at risk the competitiveness of the country.
The National Assembly approved in first debate the bill number 92, "which creates the law on health and safety in port works in the Republic of Panama". Another one that also surpassed the first discussion was number 93 "that dictates norms for the protection of the port worker."
Starting August 17, APM Terminals' new rates for the Moin Container Terminal will come into effect in Costa Rica, rising from $257 to $262 for the loading and unloading service.
The increase from $257.43 to $261.60 represents an adjustment of $4.17 per container, which applies whether the container is full or empty, as stipulated in clause 11.8.5.1 of the concession contract signed between the company and the government of Costa Rica.
Delays in the attention of containers in the terminal in charge of APM Terminals, congestion in the yards, cuts in the electrical flow and the computer system, are some of the complaints of the exporting sector of Costa Rica.
Complaints of delays in the port in Limon and in charge of APM Terminals are not new, because in early April, five weeks after the start of operations of the Moin Container Terminal (TCM), reported delays of at least 25 hours of work, which was due, according to the authorities, to the demarcation work of the road between San Jose and Limon.
To solve the congestion problem affecting Guatemala's port network, it is estimated that at least $133 million needs to be invested to improve the operations of current terminals.
The average standard for port operation is on average 50%, however, currently the country is reaching occupancy limits above 60%, which means that they are reaching congested points that make them less efficient.
A public-private partnership would be the most efficient option for modernizing Guatemala's La Aurora International Airport, which urgently requires a strong investment in infrastructure.
The consulting firm Deloitte Tetra Tech was hired to prepare feasibility studies, with the aim of establishing contract models that could be applied to modernize the Guatemalan air terminal.
The closure of route 32 has generated delays in the maritime terminal of Costa Rica, delaying the entry of carriers to leave or withdraw cargo.
Five weeks after the start of operations of the Moin Container Terminal (TCM), the port in the Pacific in charge of APM Terminals, reports delays of at least 25 hours of work, which is due, according to the authorities, to the work of demarcation of the road between San Jose and Limon.
It is expected that in November of this year the construction of the new dock 2A in the bay of Puerto Cortés, in Honduras, which will serve for the export of stone aggregates to the U.S., will be completed.
Directors of Grupo Avanza, the company in charge of the project valued at $22 million, informed that the works have already begun and estimate that in the first 15 days of November the work will be completed.
From 26 to 30 August, representatives of the port industry of Central America and the Dominican Republic will meet in Antigua Guatemala to discuss innovation, trends and facilitation of international trade.
From the National Port Commission of Guatemala' s press release:
Guatemala has become the venue for one of the most important port events in Central America: the 41st Port Meeting of the Central American Isthmus, better known by its acronym REPICA.
Two multipurpose cranes with the capacity to mobilize 600 tons will begin operating at Guatemala's maritime terminal on December 12th.
Representatives of the Ministry of Communications informed that the new cranes of Operadora Logística de Guatemala, S.A., the company that won the tender to provide the service, have a $6 million cost each.
Hector Recinos, vice minister of Communications in charge of ports and airports, said to Prensalibre.com that "... The crane service operations are going to be reactivated and with the shipping agents the itineraries to receive ships with containerized goods have already been programmed."
In the last five years, the Honduran maritime terminal has gone from moving 20 to 40 containers per hour, and the average service time per truck has fallen from 120 to 40 minutes.
According to the representatives of the Central American Port Operator (PPO), the concessionaire of the maritime terminal since 2013, have had to make investments in different areas of the port to increase its operational capabilities.
Freight movement in Panama totaled 54.8 million metric tons in the first eight months of the year, 5% less than that reported in the same period in 2017.
The most recent figures of the General Comptroller detail that only last August reported a year-on-year fall of 13% in the freight movement, falling from 7.8 million metric tons in the eighth month of 2017 to 6.8 million metric tons in the same period of 2018.
After investing close to $240 million, the Central American Port Operator has started operations at pier number 6 of the Honduran maritime terminal.
See statement from the Presidency of Honduras.
Puerto Cortés, September 21."Pier number 6 is on its way to making Puerto Cortés the leader of the region and the Caribbean," said President Juan Orlando Hernandez today when inaugurating the work, which represents a major step in the modernization of these port facilities.