The throughput of containerized cargo in Latin American and the Caribbean ports increased around 6.1% in 2017, according to data released by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). This shows a rebound over the last three years, when low or negative growth rates in container throughput were recorded.
The countries whose container port terminals contributed the most to this change are:
- Dominican Republic – 24%;
- Colombia – 13.3%;
- Mexico – 12.2%;
- Panama – 10.1%;
- Brazil – 5%
With a smaller contribution, are Honduras (9.8%), Peru (9.4%), Argentina (6.7%), Uruguay (5.8%), Chile (5.7%) and Ecuador (4.7%).
Finally, countries with a significant performance on an individual level, but low participation in the regional volume variation, are: Suriname (13.9%), Grenada (11.6%) and Nicaragua (9.5%).
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The total volume of activity in 2017 reached 50.6 million TEU. The first 40 ports in the ranking represent a little more than 87% of this type of cargo operations in the region. The 100 ports that follow move the remaining 13%, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) indicates.
Moreover, the region’s top 10 ports capture 48.2% of cargo in containers. The change in the traffic handled at the top 10 was 7.9%, which was above the regional variation.
Finally, in the Caribbean and on the North Coast of South America (NCSA), container throughput in port terminals was dissimilar. In the Caribbean it fell, while on the NCSA a significant improvement was seen compared with 2016.
In the Caribbean, the increase in container traffic was notable in the ports of the Dominican Republic, Grenada and, to a lesser extent, Antigua, Barbuda and Martinique, while on the NCSA the most marked increases were seen in Colombia and Suriname.
