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.
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.
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:
Guatemala has become the venue for one of the most important port events in Central America: the 41st Port Meeting of the Central American Isthmus, better known by its acronym REPICA.
In the first nine months of 2018, eight environmental impact studies were presented to perform dredging works and new constructions in different port terminals in the region, with a $75 million estimated investment.
The interactive platform "Construction in Central America", compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData, includes an up to date list of public and private construction projects for which environmental impact studies (EIA) were submitted to the respective institutions of each country.
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.
It has been announced that the port terminal will receive two new cranes valued at $26 million, an investment that is part of the project to expand and equip Pier 6.
The Honduran Presidency reported that the two cranes, Super Post Panamax Ship-to-Shore, will be the largest in the region and will be installed on pier 6 of Puerto Cortés, which in recent years has been undergoing an expansion and modernization process.
With the aim of attracting companies from El Salvador, the two operators of the Atlantic ports in Honduras and Guatemala are working on modernizing their infrastructure.
Representatives from the Central American Port Operator (OPC by its initials in Spanish) of Puerto Cortés, in Honduras, explained that due to inefficient processes and high costs, they have lost a lot of cargo from El Salvador in recent years.
A significant improvement has been reported in the time it takes customs authorities in the port terminal of Honduras to inspect and review containers.
The measures implemented over the last year in customs offices in Honduras have made it possible to streamline the processes of review and clearance of containers, something which in recent years had become a headache for employers.
Lack of electricity and logistics and storage problems at Floridian ports are complicating exports from Central America, especially for perishable goods.
Difficulties faced at ports in Florida and Puerto Rico are affecting the region's exporters, who are looking for alternatives so that their shipments are not affected.
The 70% growth in cargo movement through the port of Corinto in the last five years reflects the imperative need for Nicaragua to invest more in port infrastructure.
Even though container movements through Nicaraguan ports are still significantly less than that through other ports in the region, the increase in sea freight traffic and its growth potential compel the government and the sectors involved to think about options for increasing port capacity.
The Hernández administration is looking for companies interested in modernizing and expanding the Henecán port terminal in San Lorenzo, Valle department.
Representatives from the government met with the Ecuadorian company Yilport, who may be interested in the project.The aim of the Honduran authorities is to improve the infrastructure of the most important portfor the country on the Pacific coast.
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.
From March 12 to 15 shipping companies, logistics companies and others from this industry will be meeting in Panama to discuss issues such as the use of new energy sources and technology on ships.
The Panama Maritime Chamber has announced the holding of the XIII Panama MaritimeConference& Exhibition from March 12 to 15 at the Megapolis Convention Center in Panama City.
The works include the construction of 350 additional meters of quay, dredging the channel to obtain a depth of 14.5 meters and the implementation of two new super post Panamax gantry cranes.
From a statement issued by the President of Honduras:
Puerto Cortes, 12 January.The construction of container quay number six in Puerto Cortes was launched today by President Juan Orlando Hernández with the laying of the foundation stone for this work, which will cost 148 million dollars, in a first stage.