Port of Cartagena passes 3m teu mark in 2020Port of Cartagena passes 3m teu mark in 2020

Cartagena reported an increased cargo volume of 6.5% in 2020 and surpassing the 3m teu barrier to handle 3.13m teu.

Cartagena commercial director Giovanni Benedetti told Seatrade Maritime News: “It was the first time that we pass the mark of 3m teu. Last year, the terminal positioned itself as an important transhipment hub for the Caribbean area moving 2.3m teu, growing 7.7% in transhipment volume,”

Although figures show growth in volume, revenues fell slightly “because imports that decreased 9.5%, is financially more important for us as it brings storage fees,” he added.

 Exports grew by 4.4% boosted by a rise in dried and reefer products, the latter increasing by 56.6%. Cartagena added 800 plugs to a total of 4,000 plugs making the Colombian port the largest reefer terminal in the Americas. Avocados to Europe and the Mediterranean, and bananas are the main agricultural products. Some 60 boxes of bananas a week were exported to Korea in 2020.  

“We are careful on making plans for expansion - a few years ago, Cartagena invested $500m to increase capacity—but we will add six hectares of container yard. We entered in green technology installing 6,000 solar panels on our warehouses' roofs that bring 3.5MW of cheaper energy,” said Benedetti.

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The nearby port of Barranquilla also registered an increase of cargo in 2020 to 1.42m teu, up from 1.2m teu the year before.