PMAC 29th Annual General Meeting – Who Will Finance the Caribbean’s Port Transition ?
The European Union, DFC and regional institutions are opening new pathways to capital. But Caribbean ports must first turn their modernisation and decarbonisation ambitions into credible, measurable and bankable projects. Caribbean ports are being asked to modernise ageing infrastructure, digitalise cargo processes, strengthen resilience and security, and prepare for the decarbonisation of maritime transport—all at […]
MV Barima Disaster Puts Guyana’s Ferry Safety and Hinterland Connectivity Under Scrutiny
At least ten bodies have been recovered after the MV Barima capsized off Guyana’s coast, as an expanding search operation continues for passengers and crew still unaccounted for. The government-operated passenger and cargo ferry overturned late on Saturday, July 18, while travelling to Port Kaituma in Guyana’s north-western Region One. Authorities said the vessel had […]
From capacity building to project support: Darwin Telemaque ’s next vision for PMAC
In conversation with Darwin Telemaque — CEO, Antigua Port Authority and Chairman, Port Management Association of the Caribbean (PMAC), at the association’s 29th Annual General Meeting, held in Paramaribo, Suriname, from 8 to 10 July 2026. “Shipping is not an option for us.” For Darwin Telemaque, that simple statement explains why Caribbean ports occupy such […]
Caribbean ports move toward a common environmental framework
Environmental performance is becoming a strategic priority for Caribbean ports, but measuring progress consistently across the region has remained a challenge. That is the objective behind CariPorts II, a regional initiative presented in the latest issue of Caribbean Maritime, the official journal of the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA). Officially launched on 17 October 2025, the […]
BVI Ports Authority targets stronger landside cargo operations with new Port Purcell warehouse project
As Caribbean ports seek to improve cargo throughput without necessarily expanding their waterfront footprint, investment is increasingly shifting toward landside logistics infrastructure. The British Virgin Islands Ports Authority (BVIPA) has taken a step in that direction by launching a procurement process for a new general cargo warehouse at Port Purcell, Tortola. Beyond the construction project […]
PMAC 29th Annual General Meeting – Shore power alone won’t decarbonise Caribbean ports
For Caribbean ports, shore power is often framed as an infrastructure challenge: install the connection, bring electricity to the berth and allow ships to switch off their auxiliary engines while alongside. A discussion at the 29th Annual General Meeting of the Port Management Association of the Caribbean (PMAC) in Paramaribo suggested a more difficult reality. […]
LAC ’s 2024 port hierarchy reveals more than a stable top tier
Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) ’s container port hierarchy has a remarkably familiar top tier. In 2024, Santos remained the region’s largest container port, handling 5.48 million TEU. Manzanillo in Mexico followed with 3.92 million TEU, while Cartagena Bay ranked third at 3.70 million TEU. The striking point is not simply their scale. It […]
From fragmented documents to operational data: where AI fits into shipping digitalization
Shipping’s digital transformation is increasingly exposing a persistent operational problem: critical information may exist, yet remain difficult to use because it is scattered across documents, formats and disconnected workflows. In From documents to data to decisions: How AI is fixing shipping’s data problem, a feature published in Issue 57 of Caribbean Maritime, the official journal […]
Caribbean port strength comes with growing network exposure
The Caribbean remains one of the most strategically important container spaces in Latin America and the Caribbean. Several of the region’s largest ports sit within or around the Caribbean basin, supported by major east-west shipping routes, proximity to the Panama Canal and extensive transshipment networks. The 2024 port hierarchy illustrates that scale. Cartagena Bay handled […]
More cargo, fewer calls: Puerto Quetzal’s shifting operating profile
Puerto Quetzal entered 2025 from a stronger volume base, but the more revealing part of its recent performance lies beneath the headline growth. In 2024, total throughput reached 19.16 million metric tonnes including the San José buoys, up 8% year on year, while container traffic rose 7% to 716,640 TEU. Yet the number of vessels […]
Latin America ’s container recovery masks uneven port trajectories
Latin America and the Caribbean’s container trade has moved back above pre-pandemic levels. But the regional recovery is far from uniform. In 2024, Latin America’s containerised maritime trade reached an index of 104.6, with 2019 set at 100, according to the latest port report from the CEPAL. That places the region above its pre-pandemic baseline, […]
Stronger maritime governance could reinforce Caribbean trade and logistics
The fifth Regional Meeting of Directors and Heads of Maritime Administrations (DIHMAR5), held in Guyana in late June, delivered more than a regional policy discussion. By launching a new legal cooperation initiative and identifying common technical priorities, Caribbean maritime authorities signalled a broader effort to strengthen the institutional foundations that support trade, shipping and port […]