Panama could already have a container terminal operating on the Pacific side, but opposition from the Panama Ports Company (PPC) and others such as residents of surrounding areas has impeded progress of the project which the Panama Canal Authority has been promoting since 2014.

See: "The Importance of the New Port in Corozal"

That year "... was a key moment for Panama to begin construction of the container terminal on the Pacific side. The idea was that the port would be ready when they finished work on the Canal expansion, which went into commercial operation three months ago."

Prensa.com reports that "...At least 11 lawsuits have been filed, 4 of these by PPC. Of these, two administrative contentious demands were not admitted by Judge Luis Ramon Fabrega and notification is being awaited from the Attorney General. A third administrative litigation petition for annulment, filed against the decision of the board of the ACP, which ordered the tender for the concession of the port, has not been resolved. "

See also: "Four Companies Shortlisted for Puerto Corozal"

Meanwhile, companies in the maritime sector are bemoaning the lack of progress of the project and attributed part of the decline in container movements to lack of port space on the Pacific side. The president of the Panama Chamber of Shipping, Rommel Troetsch,   "... argued that the loss is due to cargo going to other centers or other shipping companies who are carrying merchandise direct from Asia to South American countries."

Source: Prensa.com

More on this topic

Controversy Over Port in Corozal

February 2018

The Canal Authority has clarified there is no open tender for the concession of a container port in Corozal Oeste, and states that it will continue with evaluations in order to present new terms and conditions to develop the project.

The Panama Canal has clarified that it does not have any tender in process, nor does it intend to receive proposals within the next few weeks for the concession of a port in Corozal Oeste, at the entrance to the interoceanic highway in the Pacific.

The Port that Panama Needs

February 2018

Opposition on the part of a port operator and residents in the area is preventing the development of a terminal that would speed up maritime traffic in the Panamanian Pacific and result in lower logistics costs.

The opposition that has been expressed by the current operator of the port of Balboa, on top of the legal actions filed by groups of residents, lawyers and environmental organizations, has prevented the ACP's project to build a port in Corozal from advancing. The tender was declared void in March of last year, after having been postponed twice.   

What Panama Loses By Not Having Port in Corozal

March 2017

New businesses in the segment of small shipping companies, and competitiveness in the maritime and logistics regional market is what the country is missing out on because of the delay in the construction of a new terminal.

One of the main points in favor of the construction of a port in Corozal is the business that could be generated in the segment of smaller shipping companies, which, according to entrepreneurs in this sector, have difficulty accessing the services they need because larger shipping companies are generally given priority attention at major ports.

Port Investment Grows in Panama

January 2013

The steady increase in the volume of cargo transiting the Canal country, leads to more investment in its ports.

The Panama Canal Authority is carrying out studies on developing a port terminal in the Corozal area. Another project will be developed in Margarita Island with an estimated cost of $600 million, according to Willys Delvalle, president of the Maritime Chamber of Panama.