Building specialized docks for the auxiliary marine industry and increasing the capacity to deliver quickly by air are some of the challenges that Panama will face in the coming years.
The Panamanian economy depends heavily on the logistics sector, but currently faces new challenges because of the increasing competition from other regional players who offer better costs in managing cargo on a large scale.
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.
It is not only the port of Corozal which needs immediate promotion, there is also an urgent need to keep building port infrastructure in order to take advantage of the Canal expansion.
EDITORIAL
The opinion of entrepreneurs in the logistics sector is unanimous: the forthcoming opening of the new and expanded Panama Canal locks should be the starting point for consolidating Panama as a major logistics hub for the hemisphere.
On 6 and 7 October industry representatives worldwide will gather together in Panama City to discuss issues such as the impact of the expanded canal on bunker operations.
Representatives from the Maritime Chamber of Panama, the event organizer, said to Prensa.com that "... The aim this year is to unite the bunkering sector agencies, shipping companies and their service providers, and present the problems of the sector to the various authorities in the country ".
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.
Port sector entrepreneurs are advocating legal mechanisms to prevent the stoppage of work at ports due to workers strikes.
The latest labor dispute which took place in Manzanillo port in Panama and its impact on the logistics industry is not far removed from other countries in the region.
Maritime industry representatives agree on the serious risk posed by strikes to the development of Panama as a logistics center.
Developing the region's short distance cargo and passenger sea travel could lower costs and favor agricultural exports.
Central America's short distance maritime transport project (TMCD, Spanish Acronym) is advancing. Feasibility studies have determined that with little investment, the 49 ports located in Central America and Mexico, "could be adapted for short distance passenger and cargo transportation, as it is done in Europe".
Compared to the 2007 record of 8 billion tons in transports, global maritime commerce fell substantially in 2008, dragged down by the crisis.
A good indication of this is the decrease in the Baltic Dry Index, which is composed of the prices of the maritime transportation of dry cargo. In November 2008, the index was 891 points while the index had reached 11,973 in May of that year - suffering in that period a fall of 11 times its value.
Operators from more than 20 countries will participate in the four day port event, considered to be the most important one in the region.
The inauguration will be held on February 8, 2009 and will include the presence of the Secretary General of the World Maritime Organization (OMI), Efthimios Mitropoulos, who will be the main speaker along with important local and international guest speakers from the shipping world.