IDB Outlines $130M Cargo Pass Initiative to Tackle Central America’s Freight Bottlenecks
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is advancing a US$130 million regional freight connectivity initiative aimed at reducing border delays and logistics costs in Central America. Known as Cargo Pass, the programme could generate an estimated US$700 million in annual economic benefits. Freight connectivity remains a major obstacle to regional trade in Central America, despite decades […]
Manzanillo Container Traffic Grows 11% in First Eight Months of 2026
Mexico’s leading container port handled nearly 2.83 million TEUs in the first eight months of 2026, with export volumes rising 16% and international trade accounting for 85% of container movements. The Port of Manzanillo, on Mexico’s Pacific coast in the state of Colima, handled approximately 2.82 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) between January and August […]
Venezuela tops global liner shipping connectivity growth in Q3 2026
Venezuela recorded the world’s strongest annual increase in liner shipping connectivity in the third quarter of 2026, according to UNCTAD data. The improvement comes as shipping lines adjust their Venezuelan port calls following operational disruptions at La Guaira. Venezuela recorded a 91.4% year-on-year increase in its Liner Shipping Connectivity Index (LSCI) in the third quarter […]
Maritime Connectivity Remains a Bottleneck for Caribbean Food Trade
Caribbean governments are seeking to expand intra-regional food trade, but weak and costly maritime connections continue to limit the movement of agricultural and fisheries products between territories. Discussions at Caribbean Week of Agriculture 2026 in Jamaica have again put shipping, port efficiency and cold-chain logistics at the centre of the regional food security agenda. Maritime […]
Beyond the Landlord Model: Why Latin America Is Rethinking Port Concessions
The landlord model remains the dominant framework for port concessions across much of Latin America and the Caribbean. But an OAS-CIP comparative study of ten markets argues that attracting private investment is no longer enough: future concessions will increasingly need measurable performance, stronger public oversight, sustainability commitments and closer integration with national logistics chains. Port […]
Queen Emma Bridge: How Curaçao Electrified a Port-City Landmark
Curaçao has brought the Queen Emma Bridge in Willemstad into a new operating phase after replacing its fuel-powered propulsion with an electric drive and renewing key electrical, mechanical and structural systems. The project matters beyond emissions: the floating bridge must simultaneously connect Punda and Otrobanda, open for vessels using St. Anna Bay and preserve one […]
Cartagena Strengthens Homeport Role With 30 Cruise Embarkations in 2026-27
Cartagena, Colombia, has opened its 2026-27 cruise season with 30 embarkation operations scheduled and 33,600 passengers expected to begin their journeys from the city. Royal Caribbean will account for 28 of those departures, placing homeport activity at the center of a season that will include 173 cruise calls from 37 lines. The Terminal de Cruceros […]
Transshipment Accounts for 44% of Port of Spain Container Activity Through August
Transshipment represented 44.2% of reported container activity at the Port of Port of Spain through August 2026, according to Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago data. CMA CGM and MSC together accounted for more than 80% of total container volumes and over 95% of transshipment traffic during the period. Transshipment represents 44% of container activity […]
DP World Posorja Tests 800-Metre Berth for Two Mega Container Ships
DP World Posorja has completed manoeuvring simulations for its future 800-metre quay configuration, testing simultaneous operations with vessels measuring up to 384 metres and 400 metres. The final extension is expected to raise the Ecuadorian deep-water terminal’s annual capacity to 1.4 million TEUs by the end of 2026. Posorja validates its future 800-metre quay Guayaquil, […]
Fortescue Green Pioneer showcases ammonia shipping to Caribbean port leaders in Suriname
During the 29th Annual General Meeting of the Port Management Association of the Caribbean (PMAC) in Suriname, Fortescue presented its pioneering ammonia-powered vessel to regional maritime professionals. Speaking aboard the Fortescue Green Pioneer, Senior Project Manager Matthew Garland explained how the technology works, the challenges of scaling its adoption and the role of international regulation […]
Nassau Cruise Port: managing 30,000-passenger days in the Caribbean
Nassau Cruise Port in The Bahamas handled a record 33,254 cruise passengers from six ships on June 8, 2026, illustrating the new scale of operations at one of the Caribbean’s busiest cruise gateways. As larger vessels and concentrated calls push daily volumes beyond 30,000 guests, managing passenger flows between the berths, terminal and downtown Nassau […]
Roatán Tests the Caribbean’s Next Cruise Fuel Model
Roatán, Honduras, hosted what Carnival Corporation described as the first cruise LNG bunkering operation in Latin America and the Western Caribbean in June 2026, using a mobile supply solution to refuel Carnival Jubilee. The operation comes as more cruise ships are being designed for alternative fuels and shore power, shifting part of the industry’s decarbonization […]