Due to the imbalance in world trade flows, shipping lines have changed their routes and prefer to move empty containers to Asia, a situation that generates shortages and causes increases in freight rates and raw material prices.
In this scenario of new commercial reality, the operating costs of maritime freight have been impacted, since due to the restrictions imposed in several countries around the world, containers have been stranded.
Because of the lower-than-projected volume of cargo shipped on the September and October services, the maritime route between Port Moin and Shanghai was suspended.
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.
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.
In order to minimize some of the impact that the Nicaraguan crisis has had on intraregional trade, the governments of Costa Rica and El Salvador have announced that they are now in a position to start ferry operations.
After unsuccessfully trying to implement this maritime cargo transport option, in May of last year the Spanish shipping company Odiel decided to end the negotiation process to operate the ferry, due to a disagreement over the setting of tariffs that would have to be charged for the service. Since then, the project has been forgotten.
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.
From September 27 to 29, companies from the sector will be meeting to discuss issues such as bunkering and environmental impact, ports and shipping lines, cargo transportation and the auxiliary maritime industry.
From a statement issued by the Maritime Chamber of Panama:
The Maritime Chamber of Panama, for the education and updating of the maritime, port and logistics sector of our country, will be holding, from September 27 to 29, the First Annual Maritime Conference of Panama entitled "The Next 100 Years" within the framework of the 100 year anniversary of Panamanian ship registration.
From July 25 to 28 representatives from the port industry in the region will be meeting in Belize at the XXXIX Port Meeting of the Central American Isthmus.
At the event, to be held at the Best Westerm Biltmore Plaza Hotel in Belize, the main discussion panels will address current issues such as the Cruise Industry, Mobility and Logistics Policy in Central America, Strengthening Environmental Port Management in Central America, Multilateral Agreement And Safety, Port Security and Protection, Gross Verified Mass (GVM), Climate Change and the Role of Women in the Port Industry, among others.
With the entry into operation of the new locks, the Panama Canal is beginning to regain market lost in recent years to the Suez Canal.
60% of vessels transporting cargo between Asia and the United States now passes through the new locks, up from 40% earlier this year. Until the opening of the expanded canal, this market share of maritime cargo went through the Suez Canal.
On July 19 shipping companies, logistics and other sectors related to the port industry will be meeting in Panama to discuss issues and opportunities arising from the expanded canal.
The event, organized by the Maritime Authority of Panama, will be held at the Hotel Intercontinental Miramar, from 1 pm.
Anpanama.com reports that "....Among the topics to be discussed are: prospects for Panama's logistics sector after enlargement, adaptation and efficient management of Panamanian ports and the role of private enterprise in the new scenario, among other things."
The shipping company has drawn attention to the impact that the Canal expansion will have on its operations noting that there are still only a few ports that can receive Post Panamax vessels.
The two routes that the Danish shipping company Maersk Line ceased to operate in 2013 were of great importance for Latin America, whose operations account for 10% of the company's total sales worldwide.
The arrival of the first ships with capacity of 13 TEUs at the Panamanian port of Balboa is evidence of how shipping services are changing, a prelude to the opening of the expanded Canal.
Trips taken by cargo bound for East Asia with two major shipping companies in the world, Maersk Line and MSC, will be shorter, thanks to the port at Balboa now being able to manage ships carrying over 13,000 TEUs's, a capacity which is close to the amount carried by ships which will pass through the expanded Canal.
One of the routes is operated by Maersk Line from Asia to the US West Coast and the other by the company Hamburg Sud, going from South America to the Caribbean.
The Canal Administrator Jorge Quijano, said these two new services will generate "between $25 million to $30 million each." Vessels operating the routes are of medium size and will start going through the canal in the coming months.
While the epic speeches on a regional maritime traffic sound crazy, Puerto Cortes is rationally emerging as the hub port in the North Central Triangle .
The port terminal, announcing an increase in productivity of 90% through the modernization of the container and general cargo terminal, aims to be the hub for cargo coming from North America and cargo destined for Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
After overcoming several bureaucratic obstacles the grain terminal with capacity to accommodate PostPanamax vessels became operational in the Pacific port of Costa Rica.
From a statement issued by from the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT):
The new multipurpose dock at Caldera Port, has now been inaugurated, improving Costa Rica's competitiveness and international trade logistics, in addition to promoting development in the province of Puntarenas.