On March 11 the second edition of the event will be held which will present opportunities for business development that will arise from the opening of the third set of locks of the Panama Canal.
The Panama Maritime Chamber is organizing the event called Logistic Summit 2016: Logistics in the Americas after the Canal Expansion on March 11.
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.
In order to analyze the impact that Panama Canal expansion will have on this sector it is necessary to dissect the current numbers on movement and transshipment of containers in Latin America.
From a report by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC):
Trade in container ports in the region up 1.3% in 2014
Ranking updated by USI / ECLAC confirms the slowdown in foreign trade shown by the container terminals in Latin America and the Caribbean in recent years. The movement of containerized cargo at ports in Latin America and the Caribbean grew by 1.3% in 2014, according to data released today by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). This year's ranking of movements in container ports confirms high heterogeneity: the west coast of South America is up (5.3%), Mexico (4.0%) and Central America (3.4%), but the East Coast of South America (-2.2%) and the Caribbean (-8.2%) are down.
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.
The 29 ports on the west coast are once again operating normally, after an agreement between the union dockworkers and the Pacific Maritime Association was signed.
"... Port officials have said it will take six to eight weeks to clear the row of containers waiting to be loaded onto ships at the piers and several months for cargo traffic to get back to its normal rhythm.
Central American exporters are being recommended to keep using alternate routes during the union conflict which is causing ports to operate erratically.
From a statement issued by the Guatemalan Exporters Association (AGEXPOT):
The 29 main ports for goods moving from the West Coast of the United States, including Los Angeles and Long Beach, the main US ports, have been operating erratically since August 2014 due to a conflict which has been going on for months between the International Longshoremen and Warehouse Union from the West Coast (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA).
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.
The same shipping company which has not yet received authorization from Nicaragua to operate a ferry between La Union and Puerto Corinto, has now announced that it intends to run the service to Puerto Caldera in Costa Rica.
An announcement has been made that in January 2015, a ferry will start operations connecting the port of La Union, El Salvador, with the port Caldera in Costa Rica, to be run by the shipping company Odiel.
From November 24th to 27th representatives from the industry in Central America and other regions will be gathering together in Panama City to discuss issues related to maritime safety and port development.
From a statement issued by the Network for Protection of Ships and Port Facilities:
The PBIP Network Mexico-International and the Panama Maritime Chamber, together with the Maritime Authority, Panama Canal Authority and the International Maritime University of Panama; have presented the 'VIII International Forum on Maritime Safety and Port Security', which will be held in Panama City from 24 to 27 November 2014.
An announcement has been made that a new PostPanamax crane has recently arrived at Puerto Caldera in Costa Rica and will allow the loading or unloading of between 25 and 35 containers per hour.
The Port Caldera company received the new crane which will be installed in the coming days so that it can be used starting September.
The use of the new crane is expected to reduce loading and unloading times , since "...
New DHL trade routes include: from Qingdao, China to Santos, Brazil; from Le Havre, France to Veracruz, Mexico; from Miami, USA. to Colon, Panama; and from Hong Kong, China to Managua, Nicaragua.
From a press release published in Dhl.com.mx:
DHL Global Forwarding, the specialist in air and maritime transport which is part of Deutsche Post DHL, has announced the launch of four new direct routes for shipments of consolidated loads (LCL) to countries throughout Latin America. The new trade routes include: from Qingdao, China to Santos, Brazil; from Le Havre, France to Veracruz, Mexico; from Miami, USA. to Colon, Panama; and from Hong Kong, China to Managua, Nicaragua. With the opening of these new routes for LCL in the months of May and June, DHL customers have benefited from shorter transit, better rates and lowering of their carbon footprint.
A new weekly service by APL will go to Valparaiso, Callao, Buenaventura, Balboa, Manzanillo, Jacksonville, New York, and Charleston.
An article on Prensa.com reports that the head of Latin America Markets for APL, Efrain Osorio said that "... this new service will provide a faster journey time for the U.S. market for reefers and dry goods, with modern equipment and priority for handling refrigerated cargo. "
Starting from May 15, rates will be raised on goods transported to the Far East, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and the East Coast of South America.
Beginning May 15, the Danish shipping company Maersk Line said its rates for the Far East (excluding Japan), the Middle East and the Sub Indian continent will see an overall increase of $500 per 20-foot container and $1,000 per container measuring 40 feet, 40 feet HC, and 45 feet of dry cargo.