In order to ensure the supply of drinking water supply to half of the Panamanian population for the next 50 years, achieve water sustainability in its operations and guarantee its competitiveness, the Panama Canal will invest $2 billion.
In Honduras, tugging services are being tendered for the execution of docking and undocking of ships, for the maritime terminals of Cortés, Omoa, Tela and San Lorenzo.
After the Quetzal Port Company of Guatemala and the Port of Chiapas, Mexico, signed an agreement for strategic commercial promotion, it is expected that in May the short sea route will begin to operate.
The potential offered by the Port of Chiapas as a logistic node for commercial exchange from and to Central America, as well as with other international markets, makes it a strategic place for the promotion of the Short Sea Shipping (SSS) project with Guatemala and eventually with other Mesoamerican countries, informed the Mexican Secretariat of Communications and Transport (SCT).
In Costa Rica, exporters insist that rates be renegotiated at the Moin Container Terminal, since currently the cost of moving a container at that terminal exceeds by about $207 what was paid at the Japdeva docks.
One year after the start-up of operations of the maritime terminal in Costa Rica, businessmen recognize that efficiency has improved, but insist that there should be a reduction in tariffs.
Costa Rican exporters are negotiating to change the frequency of the maritime route between Port Moin and Shanghai from monthly to weekly from February 2020.
From September 24, the Chamber of Industry of Guatemala will begin to offer a training workshop on the updating of the Incoterms trade rules, which will apply from January 2020.
The Incoterms are the rules of sale of goods, which offer security and clarity in trade, for companies and users around the world. They were created by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
Since mid-July, the main companies transporting maritime cargo from the Port of Santa Tomas in Guatemala stopped operating the direct route to Europe, which will raise between 20% and 25% the costs of imports and exports.
After six decades of keeping the direct route to European ports in operation, the main shipping companies departing from Puerto Santo Tomás de Castilla in Izabal such as Maersk, Hamburg Sud, MSC, CMA-CGM, Hapas Lloyd and Sea Trade, decided not to re-operate the route concerned, leaving only one company with a multipurpose transport ship as an option to move cargo to Europe.
After several delays in the construction process, the Moin Container Terminal was officially inaugurated in Costa Rica, a port that has already been authorized to start operations of the second berth.
The operations of the maritime terminal in charge of the concessionaire APM Terminals began in October 2018, since at the end of that month the authorities of the National Council of Concessions informed that after the definitive reception of the work, the maritime terminal received the order to start operating.
Because Colombian ports have a lower operating cost base than Panamanians, the South American country competes to appropriate the logistics business in the region.
Until a while ago, Panama led the logistics operations in the region, however, there are some signs that indicate that this situation could be changing, since the growth in the movement of maritime cargo in the country has reported a slowdown in recent years. For example, between 2016 and 2017 there was a 10% increase, and last year the reported rise was just 1.7%.
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:
Despite the recent announcement by a Costa Rican company about the future of the operation of the Cargo ferry between El Salvador and Costa Rica, as planned, the service is still not operating and may never do so.
The Costa Rican company Desacarga will be the authorized company to provide, from September, a maritime cargo service between the Salvadoran port of La Unión and Caldera, in Costa Rica.
Monica Segnini, CEO of Desacarga, told Elmundo.sv that "...
From May 7 to May 11, 2018 companies working in the international maritime industry will be gathering together in Panama City to discuss technical, economic and environmental issues related to water transport infrastructure.
From May 7 to 12, 2018, Panama will host the 34th World Congress of the World Association of Aquatic Transport Infrastructures (PIANC).
From September 27th to 29th, companies from the maritime sector will be meeting in Panama to discuss issues related to technology, rules and regulations in the industry.
From a statement issued by the Maritime Chamber of Panama:
First Annual Maritime Conference of Panama entitled "The Next 100 Years" set within the framework of Panama's 100-year ship registry.At the Sheraton Hotel in Panama City.