by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

(AI-Translations): Español

The maritime industry in Central America and the Caribbean has been grappling with significant port congestion and operational delays in the past few weeks.

Several ports across the region have reported high yard utilisation and prolonged vessel waiting times, which impact both import and export operations.

Limited capacity has led to delays in inland transport and slowed down equipment entry. This made the retrieval of import containers more challenging.

Furthermore, carriers' measures to prioritise reefer cargo and apply the first-in-first-out (FIFO) method for dry cargo add to the pressure.

Containers that arrive at the port earlier, sometimes having waited for several weeks, are prioritised for loading onto the vessel.

As a result, cargo that arrives subsequently experiences extended dwell times.

These logistical bottlenecks are exacerbated by vessels missing their scheduled berthing windows and being rerouted to other nearby ports, creating a domino effect throughout the region.

Ports in Colombia, Guatemala, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Costa Rica are among the most impacted.

The waiting times for vessels to access the Panama Canal from both sides further influence the supply chain.

According to Hapag-Lloyd's latest operational update, Guatemala's Puerto Quetzal is experiencing utilisation rates of up to 121%, alongside waiting times of 4 hours.

In the Dominican Republic, DP World's Caucedo terminal is also operating under heavy strain, with 91% yard utilisation and waiting times ranging between 2 to 6 hours.

Up-to-date information about the situation at each port can be found in seaexplorer. In addition, Kuehne+Nagel's port update provides weekly insights on the situation at ports across the world.

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