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.
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.
The National Port Company Santo Tomás de Castilla will seek external financing to develop the expansion works planned for the port terminal in the next five years.
According to the representatives of the Empresa Portuaria Nacional Santo Tomas de Castilla (Empornac), in the next five years a cruise terminal will be built, one for solid and liquid bulk, and another for containers.
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.
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.
In the first seven months of the year, movement in Panama totaled 47.9 million metric tons, 3% less than was reported in the same period in 2017.
According to figures from the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic in July alone a 19% year-on-year drop in cargo movement was reported, falling from 7.8 million metric tons in the seventh month of 2017 to 6.3 million tons metrics in the same period in 2018.
Authorities at the Guatemalan port terminal announced that they have solved the container congestion problem reported weeks ago, and have started working on a reengineering process.
Empresa Portuaria Nacional Santo Tomás de Castilla (Empornac) reported that after implementing a series of actions of a logistical nature, they have managed to solve the problem of container saturation in that area, and their operations remain stable.
The Guatemalan port terminal is putting out to tender eight Straddle Carrier container movers, two 40-foot spreaders and a 20-foot spreader.
Guatemala Government Purchase 8093229:
"Acquisition of eight container transport machines (straddle carrier) for stacking containers, for operations at Empresa Portuaria Nacional Santo Tomas de Castilla.
Only days after two shipping companies announced the partial suspension of their operations in Puerto Santo Tomás, authorities at the terminal reported that 90% of the Salvadoran cargo has been lost.
The president of Empresa Portuaria Santo Tomas de Castilla (Empornac), Bayron Monterrosa, explained that they have lost almost all of the cargo from El Salvador, which represented 20% of the port terminal's operations.
Due to lack of investment in machinery and equipment in recent years and slow loading and unloading of vessels, the shipping company Maersk Line is to partially suspend its operations in the Guatemalan port terminal.
Guatemalan exporters and authorities at Puerto Santo Tomas de Castilla are working together to find solutions to the congestion affecting the port terminal.
The Department of Competitiveness at the Guatemalan Association of Exporters (Agexport) and representatives of the port terminal started holding meetings last week to develop a road map, which will focus on improving traceability of cargo and the clearance of merchandise.