The figures compiled reveal a deepening of the downward trend observed by ECLAC for container ports in previous years due to a slowdown in foreign trade, mainly reflected in a drop in activity in terminals and a loss of market because of competition from other routes.
The decline in the container port movement deepens the slowdown seen in the last two years, with weak growth rates in 2014 (0.8%) and in 2015 (1.7%). The total volume of activity in the first six months of 2016 reaches an estimated approximate 23m teu.
During this period, 13 of the 30 most important container ports in Latin America and the Caribbean (six in the top 10) registered declines in their traffic, with decreases in the main sub-regions - Panama and Colombia, Mexico, East Coast of South America.
Total traffic volume in these first 30 ports - more than 80% of regional container port traffic - decreased by 3.7% in the first six months of 2016: in Panama containerised cargo fell by 12.8%, in Colombia by 11.1%, in Brazil by 3.9%, and Argentina by 5.1%. These countries show a decline of 8.1% compared to the first half of 2015.
In the ports of Colon and Balboa, both in Panama, container cargo movements fell by 16% and 9% respectively. In Santos, Brazil, including TUP Embraport, this traffic fell a remarkable 13%, while the ports of Cartagena, Colombia, Manzanillo, Mexico, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, recorded decreases of 15%, 4% and 5% respectively.
The data collected point to a great heterogeneity in the behaviour of port movements, both at sub-regional and country level. The East Coast of South America shows a decline of 4.1% and the West Coast of South America grew overall by 4.8%.
At the country level, six in the region recorded deep declines: El Salvador (-15.4%), Panama (-12.8%), Colombia (-11.1%), Argentina (-5.1%), Brazil (-3.9%) and Mexico (-0.5%).
In contrast, six countries in the region showed a significant increase in their container port activity: Nicaragua (21.9%), Dominican Republic (9.4%), Guatemala (7.2%), Costa Rica %), Ecuador (5.5%) and Uruguay (4.9%).
Three countries recorded more moderate growth: Chile (3.8%), Peru (2.3%) and Honduras (2.0%). The following four ports recorded double-digit increases: Santo Tomas de Castilla-Guatemala (15.7%), Guayaquil-Ecuador (14.5%), San Antonio-Chile (12.8%) and Lazaro Cardenas- Mexico (10.0%).
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