1. May-August 2011
Year 3, No. 2
Reactivation of Navigation on the Magdalena
River, Colombia:ACountry Project
Minister of Ports of Brazil, Leonidas Cristino,
announces investments for US$3,500 million
in the sector.
Main container ports in Latin America and
its future with the expansion of the Panama
Canal
Pedro Brito, former Minister of Ports of
Brazil assumes as Director of the National
Agency of Waterway Transportation, Antaq
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2. CONTENTS
May
August
2011
Training
News of Latin
American Ports
Mail
Main Container Ports of Latin
America and its Future with the
Expansion of the Panama Canal
II Public-PrivateAnnual Seminar
of Latinports and I Colombian
Congress of Ports next December in
Cartagena
BNAmericas interviews the
Executive Director of Latinports: The
mega-containerships and its effects
in LatinAmerican ports
Pedro Brito, former Minister of Ports
of Brazil, assumes as Director of
the NationalAgency of Waterway
Transportation,Antaq
Reactivation of navigation on the
Magdalena River, Colombia:A
Country Project
Minister of Ports of Brazil, Leonidas
Cristino, announces investments for
US$3,500 million in the sector
Editorial
Cover
Magdalena River, Colombia
Layout and Design
Julian Pineda
www.miroamarillo.com
studio@miroamarillo.com

3. SEditorial
May - August 2011
It is with great satisfaction we record the happy
coincidence that while the existing Minister
of Ports of Brazil, Leonidas Cristino, announces
investments for the sector amounting to US$3,500
millions, former minister, Pedro Brito, starts off as director of the
Water Transportation National Agency (Antaq). As we said in our previous
issue, Dr. Brito was in charge of constituting the Special Secretary’s Office
of Ports, SEP, of Brazil at a ministry level and to consolidate it in a three-
year period of time as one of the most important and highest production
portfolios of his country, during which time Brazil moved from place 61
to place 41 in logistics worldwide performance, mostly attributable to the
port sector (Logistics Performance Index (LPI) of the World Bank). Being
SEP the entity formulating policies and Antaq the implementing entity, it
now corresponds to Minister Cristino and Director Brito to propitiate the
development of a joint strategic plan to encourage growth of the Brazilian
port sector, an issue in which both are determined for the benefit of the
activity.
We are also pleased to record the beginning of specialized periodical
seminars, which will start in Colombia with one on waterways, showing
the need of integrating modal waterways to transportation logistics, and
the realization of our second public-private Latin American seminar in
Cartagena, jointly with the Superintendence of Ports and Transportation,
which will undertake the first Colombian congress of ports to commemorate
20 years of the port law in this country, one of the first countries in
taking this great step in Latin America. Also, we are proud to highlight the
invitation presented by Lloyd’s List Global Ports Conference to represent
Latin America in the event on emerging markets worldwide to be held in
London on November 30-December 1st of this year.
Finally, in order to maintain a permanent updating of the Latin American
port community in its desire for training, we present a series of large-scale
events cosponsored by Latinports in different countries and for each of the
upcoming months.
Until next time!
jpalacio@latinports.org
www.latinports.org
Julian Palacio
Executive Director

4. Reactivation of Navigation on the Magdalena
River, Colombia:ACountry Project
The Colombian government has decided to bet on river
transportation between the central part of the country and the
Atlantic coast, as a way to make more competitive its precarious transportation logistics almost
100% concentrated on roads, in a region with the most rugged topography of the continent (the Andes
Cordillera and its three large branches) and with the largest distances between the main productive center
and the seaports. Distances of more than 1,500 km have to be traveled by road to transport most of today’s
principal export product of the country, oil, its main deposits located southeast of Bogotá, in a region
known as the Llanos Orientales. Something similar occurs with the second most important export product,
coal, with its main beds in the center-eastern part of the country, and distances of up to 1,000 km to the
ports. Not to mention import commodities with destination to the main productive centers of the country,
located in the central area.
“I do not want any more road destruction” stated President Juan Manuel Santos just a few months
after his inauguration last year, thus giving frontal support to port development and river transportation that
has been promoted during the last eight years by a mixed, mostly privately-owned company, the Sociedad
Portuaria Multimodal del Río Magdalena S.A., which has just now signed a 25-year concession agreement with
the national government for the most Mediterranean river port of the country to become the port of
Bogotá and that of the central part of the country, as was described not long ago by the general director
of the Corporación Autónoma Regional del Río Grande de la Magdalena (Cormagdalena). This high official was
not far from reality as the current distance of almost 200 km between Bogotá and Puerto Salgar, through
a mountainous territory and one lane road in each direction, represents a winding travel of more than five
hours that will now be reduced to less than half, in a three-year period of time, with the new highway Ruta
del Sol, currently under construction, as its technical route reduces distance to one fourth in time and its
modern design includes two lanes, tunnels and viaducts, which will substantially increase operating speed.
Convoy
Sailing up the
Magdalena River,
Colombia
May - August 2011

5. Being the port of the central area of Colombia
implies having a hinterland with more than 50%
of the foreign trade of the country, which will
enable its surroundings to become the principal
industrial-logistics activity area of the country, thus
transforming national transportation logistics and
therefore becoming the most ambitious project
in its history. “One needs to think big” said the
President in reference to his decision of granting the
concession of the river with the purpose of bringing
its minimum navigation depth to a permanent depth
of nine feet in low waters, thus achieving a great
reduction in multimodal transportation costs, mainly
for cargo volumes and long travels.
This process shall involve three stages:
- Early Operation (end 2011-beginning 2012):
Studies and necessary resources are available to
guarantee a minimum permanent depth of 4.5
feet for the first 150 km of the river, upstream,
tender process currently underway. This depth that
was achieved in the high Mississippi more than a
hundred years ago will enable transporting 500,000
to one million tons per year in the short- and
medium-term.
- First Phase: Six feet of minimum permanent
depth in low waters, the study of channeling works
now underway to end in September, in order to
award works next year and terminate works one year
later (2013). Thus, the river may transport in the mid-
term between two (2) and five (5) million tons per
year.
- Second Phase or Final Phase: The river
concession through private initiative or public-private
association, consisting of permanent channeling
works to guarantee a permanent minimum depth
of 9 feet in low waters, and its award to be finalized
prior to the end of this government in 2014. In the
mid- and long-term the river will be in a condition to
transport more than 10 million tons per year.
Releasing this important project at national
and international levels, the Colombian
government, altogether with the Asociación
Colombiana de Logística (Colombian Logistics
Association), Acolog, and the Asociación
Latinoamericana de Puertos y Terminales
(Latin American Association of Ports
and Terminals), Latinports, shall realize a
specialized event in August, for which you may
obtain more information in the Training section
of this bulletin.
Puerto Salgar Terminal
May - August 2011

6. In an interview to Valor
Económico, the Minister-Chief
of the Secretary of Ports (SEP),
Leônidas Cristino, stated that the
government is “advancing” in the opening of
tenders for the construction of four new ports
and terminals: Port of Manaus, Porto Sul in Bahia,
a port of Deep Waters in Espírito Santo, and the
multiple-use terminal of Vila do Conde in Para. All
these ports are in the study stage for edict launching,
which will occur by the end of the year. The most
advanced are the port of Manaus, with a basic
project and now its technical and economic viability
phase being concluded, and that of Vila do Conde,
of which the public hearing on the tender for the
lease areas was already done at the company Docas
do Para. These two ports represent an investment of
US$1,350 millions.
In this interview, Cristino denied that the
government is studying privatizing the port system
and reaffirmed that the present model will be
maintained. The legal structure of the sector
foresees the concession of public ports to private
initiative, through a tender, up to 50 years, and the
authorization as private terminals, without time
limitations, provided the entrepreneur has its own
cargo. According to Cristino, the government is not
preparing any alteration in the regulatory framework.
Part of the private initiative states port flexibility,
eliminating tenders for port construction in order to
accelerate infrastructure investments. At present, to
avoid tenders is only possible when the entrepreneur
has its own cargo in amounts higher than that
of third parties and uses the port in a way of up-
righting its main business, as for example, Petrobrás
Minister of Ports of Brazil, Leonidas
Cristino, Announces Investments for
US$3,500 Million in the Sector
Leônidas Cristino,
Minister of Ports
May - August 2011

7. and Vale. If the purpose of the business is providing
services for third-party movements, the rule will be
the tender. Brazil has 129 private sea ports and 34
public sea ports. “What is included in the Law we
will continue doing in the near future. In the mean
time there is no intention of change”, declares
Cristino. “The national port system is that of a
public port with private operations. However, if
there is need for a port, the federal government has
the legal structure to award the authorization to build
a private-use terminal, provided it has its own cargo
in an amount higher than that of third parties and
that the cargo is of the same type. That is obvious”,
stated the Minister.
According to the analysis developed by the
Agriculture and Livestock Confederation of
Brazil (CNA), some of the states of the north and
northeastern regions ceased producing 3 million
tons of soy and corn during the last harvesting
because they lacked nearby sea ports with evacuation
capacity. CNA is one of the associations fighting in
court against Decree 6620 of 2008 that established
the need of having own cargos in amounts higher
than that of third parties in order to waive tenders.
One of the claims is that this norm would prevent
investments within the sector. Cristino does not
agree. He believes private investments occur as
public power makes the appropriate thing with
contributions, a rare issue until the creation of the
SEP in 2007.
Private Sector will quadruple Government
Investment
Until 2014, SEP will invest US$3,500 million in 66
works, through the Acceleration for Growth (PAC)
Program. “Estimates establish that private initiative
will invest approximately US$15,000 million during
this period of time”, stated the Minister. Regarding
the overdue portfolio of PAC 1, until 2010, the SEP
declared having concluded 45% of civil works and
almost 70% of the National Dredging Program,
which is to deepen the main national ports, the
greatest obstacle of the sector, allowing the traffic of
large vessels.
More than US$300 million of the amount foreseen
up to the year 2014 shall be destined to a logistics
intelligence program, which according to Cristino
must increase operation efficiency up to 25%.
There are three basic actions: installation of the
VTMS (Vessel Traffic Management Information
System), a tool that will undertake virtual monitoring
of vessel traffic; the ‘Paperless Port’, an online
platform to integrate bureaucratic procedures for an
approximate total of 20 actors involved in foreign
trade operation; and the Intelligent Cargo that
will link the industry, the treasury and the port, in
such a way to send merchandise only when there
is availability on vessels. The objective is to prevent
overcrowding and to optimize logistics flow.
During a recent visit to the port of Santos to
accompany the implementation of the Paperless
Port, Cristino confirmed that the program will
be implanted on August 1st (original term was
April 2010). Also was announced launching at the
beginning of August the tender for the VTMS of
Santos, the first port to have the system to aid in
navigation control, basically during bad weather days.
It will be formed by monitoring towers installed
along the estuary and a processing and supervising
central of its transmitted data. The first VTMS
May - August 2011

8. tender was cancelled since the equipment could not
be included in the Reporto, a federal government
exemption program to acquire machinery for port
modernization. “I already talked to the Minister
Fernando Pimentel (of Development, Industry and
Foreign Trade), so we may use the Reporto for the
Intelligent Cargo and the VTMS”.
During his visit to Santos, the Minister informed
having received from the National Water
Transportation Agency (Antaq) the design for the
new physical borders of the port’s dock. The new
layout almost doubles the port area under the
jurisdiction of the Company Docas del Estado de
São Paulo (Codesp), which will be of approximately
15 million square meters. The request for the
expansion was filed more than one year ago by
Codesp, which depends on this to proceed with the
project of expansion of the port, called Barnabé
Bagres. According to Cristino, if no problem
exists with the new design, it is the intention of the
Secretary’s Office of Ports to send the minutes of
the decree to the Presidency of the Republic by the
end of July.
Port of Santos, Brazil
May - August 2011

10. Great display has been given by
the specialized press of Brazil
on the appointment and sworn
in of former Minister Pedro
Brito, initiator and developer of the Special
Secretary’s Office of Ports, SEP, as director of the
Water Transportation National Agency, Antaq.
Proposed by the President, Dilma Rousseff and
ratified by the Senate, Pedro Brito assumed his
functions as of the end of June. According to
information from the press, his appointment was
well seen by the port community and professionals
linked to the sector, and, according to Tribuna, this is
the opportunity to increase the integration between
the two bodies that command sea transportation
cargo in the country. During his work at SEP, Brito
adopted measures that were not always defended
by Antaq, says the publication, and an example is,
according to the text, that he always defended that
port terminals must be public but developed by
private initiative as of concessions. Tribuna adds
that the “two great challenges” of Pedro Brito’s
management as director of Antaq shall be the
integration of the modal waterway to the logistics
scenario of the country and the need of the sector
to have well defined regulatory frameworks.
The new director of Antaq also emphasized on the
need to make the awarding procedures more agile
in order not to hinder the expansion of the sector.
“We are not entitled to commit investments based
on bureaucratic delays”. For Brito, joint work with
SEP will propitiate developing a strategic plan to
encourage port sector growth in the next 20 years.
The new Minister-Chief of SEP, José Leonidas
Cristino also has the same idea of joining efforts,
says Tribuna. In his speech during the swear-in
ceremony of the new director of Antaq,
Pedro Brito, Former Minister of Ports
of Brazil, Assumes as Director of
the National Agency of Waterway
Transportation, Antaq
Pedro Brito,
Antaq Director
May - August 2011

11. he emphasized the opportunity for the integration
of the two bodies. “He (Brito) shall have the
function of regulating, monitoring, but above all,
the extraordinary function of harmonizing. If we all
want the same thing, we will work together”.
According to the article of Valor, Brito’s plans also
include the need to involve the so-called dry ports
within the scope of port policy. Today, those bonded
warehouses depend on Federal Rent, which makes
difficult the performance of a port-logistics
strategy.
Based on the title: ´The Mega-
containerships Will Not Arrive
to Latin America in Many Years’,
below is the interview of Catherine Setterfield
to Julian Palacio:
BNAmericas spoke with Palacio and asked him how
necessary it was for regional ports to prepare for the expansion
of the Panama Canal.
Palacio: Yes, undoubtedly a preparation is
necessary, as well as investments, but not in the
wrong magnitudes. What I refer to is that the mega-
containerships will not arrive to Latin America
in many, many years, due to a matter of market
economy. Developed countries are in the east-west
route. Then these large ships will arrive at four or
five ports of the world following this route. The
north-south route will have larger size ships. Latin
America cannot point out to having the largest ships
of the world as they will not arrive. In Colombia,
Peru, Chile, and even Brazil, there is not enough
cargo to receive these ships.
Therefore, large investments are not justified if these
ships will not arrive in a very long time. Even more,
I would say that investments in dredging should be
measured for the ships we expect in the next 10-20
years. I insist, it is important to invest in dredging,
but we must know until where and not to extremes.
BNamericas: Then the idea of a great port pole in
South America is a myth?
Palacio: The Pacific area of South America is not
going to have an important port hub because of
market economy matters. Callao, in Lima, moves
90% of the foreign trade of Peru; thus, it has an
important support. But it will always be smaller
compared to transshipment ports in Panama.
BNAmericas Interviews the Executive Director
of Latinports: The Mega-containerships and its
Effects on Latin American Ports
May - August 2011

12. BNamericas: In what do you believe this money
should be used if not in port expansion?
Palacio: If they have the money, what they
really need is to correct an important failure
that is transportation in Latin America. Inland
transshipment costs are excessively expensive. For
example, it is cheaper to move cargo from China to
any country of Latin America than moving cargo
from a port to the interior of the country. Then
something is really going wrong.
BNamericas: What countries do you believe
are delivering the best model in relation to their
preparation?
Palacio: My example is Brazil. Although Brazil
was way back in matter of ports, as of the creation
of the Special Secretary’s Office of Ports, which
in fact is a Ministry, they are now preparing in an
appropriate manner. Pedro Brito said when he was
secretary (of ports), which he was until December
31st, that Santos is the largest and most important
port of Latin America, and is now preparing to
receive ships of 8,000t-9,000t. Brazil is the most
developed country in Latin America; it is an
economic global power and as such it is being seen.
Then, is Brazil wrong or are other much smaller
countries of the region wrong?
BNamericas: Would you say there is a weak link in
Latin American ports?
Palacio: Yes, in many parts. I believe Central
America is extremely behind schedule in this matter.
Nicaragua is way behind, as well as El Salvador and
Guatemala, which has not yet started privatization.
And if ports are not privatized, they will never get to
have the appropriate ports.
In Costa Rica, on the other hand, they are preparing
to receive ships between 15,000 and 18,000 TEUs.
How may Costa Rica, a small economy, think about
dredging to receive ships that will never arrive? This
money to be spent in dredging would be needed for
other things, for example, transportation
infrastructure. In the case of El Salvador, they are
more aware, they are thinking in a more down-to-
earth way. They see this will not be a matter for the
short- or medium-term.
BNamericas: Some have said there could be a
market in Central America for feed services, do you
agree?
Palacio: Also, I do not believe much in this; these
are very small markets. Works are being done in
matters of short sea shipping, and they want to do
what Europeans are doing on this matter. But the
European economy is years far from that of Central
America. Also to be considered is the amount of
cargo that will be moved. Only if governments will
subsidize it, I do not see a private port taking short sea
shipping matters seriously in Central America.
BNamericas: In January of this year some of the
ports of the Pacific within the region met to form
the commercial block Copasud. What do you think
of this idea?
Palacio: I personally do not believe much in
this. The leader is the Peruvian government,
altogether with, for example, Sociedad Portuaria de
Buenaventura, 100% privately-owned. Then, these
are two completely different approaches. The general
manager of Sociedad Portuaria de Buenaventura
may make decisions that the Peruvian government
may not make. In this case, the day the general
manager is replaced, guidelines continue being the
same because the owners are the same. But the day
that the President of Peru changes, the day that
Ollanta Humala or Keiko Fujimori is president, one
never knows what may happen. (The interview took
place shortly before the presidential election in which Ollanta
Humala was elected president: Latinports). Then, the
intention is interesting, but many things have to be
done. If new associations continue being created, we
may not be able to work in what we really need to
do. I do not know how many results we may see in
the short- or medium-term. Now is being created an
association of countries of the Pacific, and it could
be an extension of that. In this case, it might be
interesting.
May - August 2011

13. BNamericas: The last time we spoke, Latinports
had very short time of being created. Could you tell
us what the organization is doing at this time?
Palacio: At the end of August we will celebrate 2
years of our creation. And we now have more than
300 members from 10 countries of Latin America.
We had a first event in Brazil last August on our
first anniversary, with the presence of the Brazilian
Minister of Ports and all the private associations.
It was a very interesting event, an excellent starting
point.
BNamericas: Will you have any similar events this
year?
Palacio: This year we will possibly have an event in
Bogotá during the second semester. We have not yet
defined dates, although it will probably take place
during the last quarter. We want to celebrate it jointly
with the Superintendence of Ports.
Main Containers Ports of Latin America and the Caribbean in
2010 and its Future with the Expansion of the Panama Canal
According to containers port movement ranking of
Latin America and the Caribbean, prepared by the
Infrastructure Services Unit of Cepal, and recently
disclosed, “… during 2010, the twenty main ports of
containers of the region grew 20.9%, a figure much higher
than that of 2009 when the activity contracted by 6.8%”.
Another fact worth noting in this opportunity is that
not only port activity recovered its pre-crisis levels,
but furthermore 17 of the 20 main ports recorded
more than two-digit growth rates, a fact that
although is excellent news for the region, brings
forth the discussion of the need to improve port
infrastructure to face this growth, and invest in
the best port and connection logistics with the
hinterland enabling an efficient distribution of cargo.
The 2010 Ranking is lead on this occasion by Panama.
The maximum position is headed by the Colon port
complex, followed by Balboa at the Pacific entry
of the Panama Canal. Third place is for Santos in
Brazil, although worth noting is its 20.7% growth
compared to previous year. The fourth and fifth
places are maintained by Kingston in Jamaica and
Buenos Aires, Argentina, respectively.
“…during 2010, the twenty main
ports of containers of the region
grew 20.9%, a figure much higher
than that of 2009 when the activity
contracted by 6.8%.”
May - August 2011

14. Source: Infrastructure Services Unit, Cepal 2011 (for the complete list including 100 ports, please consult www.cepal.org,
link Divisions: Natural Resources and Infrastructure)
(1) Freeport was the only port of the region that decreased its cargo movement, because of fragility represented by it
almost exclusive dedication to movement of transshipment cargos (Latinports).
(2) No official figures exist for Puerto Cabello and therefore its position within the ranking is relative (Latinports).
May - August 2011

15. Regarding displacement from the first place of
the Port of Santos by the group of Panamanian
ports in each of the two oceans, the commercial
development director of Companhia Docas
do Estado de Sao Paulo (port authority of the
Port of Santos), Carlos Helmut Kopittke, in an
article on this particular matter published by the
Brazilian paper Tribuna in the beginning of June,
minimized leadership loss recognizing that growth
of Panamanian ports shall be even greater with the
expansion of the Canal, but that this is not a point
of comparison with Santos as it corresponds to a
totally different dynamics: while cargo movement of
Santos corresponds to its hinterland, that of Panama
corresponds to international transshipment. The
high official concluded by highlighting, as done
by Cepal, that the growth of 20% of the port of
Santos in foreign trade cargo movement, in which it
continues being leader by a large margin of regional
statistics.
In relation to the effects of the expansion of the
Panama Canal, the publication Valor of Brazil agrees
that the estimated cost of US$5.25 billions may
have an “impact on international sea transportation,
especially in the containers segment”, as of the
end of 2014, when works will be terminated. This
because shipping companies may implant shippers
with larger tonnage to operate through the Canal.
Today, the Panama Canal is limited, regarding
containers, to ships of 4.6 thousand TEUs, a
capacity that will be more than doubled. The
Panama Canal Authority (ACP) that manages the
route states that the expansion shall allow passage of
vessels of up to 13.6 thousand TEU although
among ship owners some believe this capacity may
remain in about 10 thousand TEU, having in mind
the size of ships that go through the new line, which
may have up to 366 meters of length and transport,
lengthwise, 19 rows of containers. Bulk transporters,
today limited to 60,000 tons, may pass through the
Canal ships of up to 170,000 tons. According to
the text, the use of larger ships to cross the Canal
will represent scale economies and cost reduction.
Alberto Alemán, administrator of the ACP,
foresees that the expansion program will change sea
transportation game rules having influence on Latin
America.
MAXIMUM SIZE OF SHIPS OPERATING IN
LATIN AMERICA
(JAN HOFFMAN, UNCTAD, MAY 2011)
Panama: Maersk with Maersk Stockholm and similar 8,600 TEU
Mexico: Maersk with Maersk Stockholm 8,600 TEU
Brazil: Maersk with Maersk Lima and similar 7,450 TEU
Argentina: Maersk with Maersk Lima and similar 7,450 TEU
Uruguay: CSAV with CSAV Maipo 6,316 TEU
Colombia: Hamburg Süd with Cap Valiente and similar 5,770
TEU
Ecuador: Hamburg Süd with Cap Valiente and similar 5,770
TEU
Chile: Hamburg Süd with Cap Valiente and similar 5,770 TEU
Dominican Republic: Hapag Lloyd with Buenos Aires Express
5,551 TEUS
Peru: MSC with MSC Lisa and similar 5,060 TEU.
The above shows that the higher capacity of ships received
in Latin America at present are between half and one third
of the Emma Maersk, the largest container ship of the world
(Latinports).
Maersk Stockholm
May - August 2011

17. Cartagena, 6-7 December 2011
Hotel Las Américas
Last June 16th, the Superintendent of Ports and
Transportation of Colombia and the Executive
Director of Latinports signed an agreement for the
joint celebration of the First Colombian Congress
of Ports and the Second Public-Private Latin
American Port Seminar, to be held the second week
of December in Cartagena, Historical and Cultural
Heritage of Humanity. Under the name of Best
Practices in Sea-Port Node, a follow-up to port laws
of the most important Latin American countries
will be done, its modifications and projections,
the legal certainty for concessionaires will also be
discussed and a critical focus will be presented on
the development of transportation infrastructure
in the region. Furthermore, the results of the
Special Secretary’s Office of Ports (SEP) of Brazil
and the logistics approach of this ministry as state
policy, unique in the region, shall be analyzed. The
Colombian congress of ports to take place for
the first time shall focus on matters of the highest
importance for the logistics-port activity and how
to accomplish excellence in the activity, including a
visit to Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Cartagena,
consecutively considered for the last five years by the
Caribbean Shipping Association as the best containers
terminal of the Caribbean.
This event, unprecedented in Colombia, shall
be attended by the Minister of Transportation,
Germán Cardona, the Superintendent of Ports
and Transportation, Juan Miguel Durán, the
Chairman of the Executive Committee of
Latinports, Richard Klien, and quite possibly
the President of the Republic, Juan Manuel
Santos.
Tourism in Cartagena:
Given the time of year in which the event will take
place, very close to the start of the high tourist
season but still with low-season hotel rates and an
excellent weather, this is an incredible opportunity to
take a short holiday with your family and enjoy
May - August 2011

18. Training
the nostalgic Cartagena de Indias, declared years
back by Unesco as Historical and Cultural Heritage
of Humanity, as it has maintained intact its colonial
and republican historical downtown (the walled city
or the so-called “corralito de piedra”), with beautiful
churches and stately homes, many of which have
become boutique hotels and restaurants of the
utmost quality.
Military structures such as walls, bastions and forts
may be observed next to the well-preserved city.
The walls were part of the plan of defense ordered
by Philip II of Spain to strengthen the main port
of the Caribbean Sea, a project that lasted almost
two centuries, and during which the city received
innumerable attacks of pirates, which ended in 1796.
The walls may be walked entirely and do not be
surprised if you find couples in love watching the
sunset from places where cannons were formerly
fired. You may visit the Fort of San Felipe de
Barajas, protector of the city and originator of the
most heroic defenses of Cartagena. When the sun
Reactivation of Navigation on the
Magdalena River, Colombia: A
Country Project
September 7, 2011
Hotel Marriott Salitre
Bogotá
Following the 25-year concession of what is to
become the most important logistics node of
the country because of its proximity to Bogotá,
Latinports, jointly with the Asociación Colombiana de
Logística and the Sociedad Portuaria
Multimodal del Río Magdalena, and supported by some
of the most important companies of the country,
will develop this international event to demonstrate
to the region the importance of the development
falls, another Cartagena comes to life full of bars,
discotheques and night spots radiating the joy of the
Caribbean.
Only 30 minutes from Cartagena one may discover
Islas del Rosario, islands full of natural enchantment
that make you live a dream where the peaceful and
warm blue waters and white sand beaches make of
this area a paradise island on earth.
More Information:
Event: Please visit the webpage www.latinports.
org and/or contact directly the executive director
of Latinports, Julián Palacio, jpalacio@latinports.org
Telephone (57 1) 7518145, Bogotá.
Air Transportation: The AviancaTaca Alliance,
official airline of the event, offers national and
international tickets at special prices.
of inland navigation routes as a need for
transportation logistics competitiveness. Experts
of the Engineer Corps of the Army of the United
States, of the Paraná-Paraguay Waterway and
of the World Bank, altogether with the Water
Transportation General Director of Brazil and
national experts shall promote a new reality in
Latin America. This initiative, with the support of
the national government and the entrepreneurial
associations will serve as an example for similar
entrepreneurship elsewhere in the region.
For more information please visit the webpage
www.latinports.org and/or contact the Executive
Director of Latinports, Julián Palacio jpalacio@
latinports.org
Telephone: (57 1) 7518145 Bogotá.
May - August 2011

19. II Coaltrans Colombia
20-21 September 2011
AR Hotel Salitre
Bogotá
Supported by Latinports, Coaltrans Conferences of
London returns to Bogotá in September to explore
opportunities that have been described by some as
“the wild west” of mining.
As international investors examine the availability
to invest in Colombia, the conference will welcome
perspectives that national and international
banks have of Colombia as a competitive place
for investment, and will analyze tax policies and
legal considerations to enable advantageous and
profitable business decisions.
Coke coal now being in fierce demand around the
world, Colombia thus offers a real opportunity
to supply the Market with good quality coke coal.
Coaltrans Colombia will deal on how the Colombian
coke coal industry may take advantage of world
demand, how mining operations may best be
coordinated, and how proposed infrastructure
Port Finance Internationa Brazil
5-6 October 2011
Convention Center Rio Stock Exchange
Rio de Janeiro
The first International Port Finance Conference
in Rio de Janeiro 2011 will enable participants
to obtain extensive knowledge on innovative
financing solutions and also to supply important
practical information for actions within the port
sector. The purpose of this event is discussing
financing and developing options for the port
sector, thus becoming a unique opportunity to
meet with potential business partners, as well as
high management level executives (government
and port authorities, terminal operators, legal and
financial sectors). Besides, the conference will focus
on the work of Brazilian ports and its expansion
and development plans, investigating also those of
the ports of South America with a view towards
investments and business expansion.
development plans make of Colombia a competitive
player for coke coal world markets.
One of the panels, called ‘A Look to Colombian
Ports’, will be presided by the executive director
of Latinports, Julián Palacio, on September
21st.
For more information please visit webpage www.
coaltrans.com and/or contact Christian David-
Griffits, Commercial Manager, cdavid-griffits@
euromoneyplc.com
Telephone: 44 207 7798946 London
The Executive Director of Latinports, Julián
Palacio, will be one of the lecturers on the
opening day, October 5th, with the presentation
of the Declaration of Brasilia 2010: Evaluation
and Perspectives of the Regional Port System.
For more information on the event please consult
webpage
www.portfinanceinternational.com and/or contact
directly with
Patrick@portfinanceinternational.com
Telephone: 44 207 0173411 London
May - August 2011

20. Toc Container Supply Chain Americas
15-17 November 2011.
Hotel El Panama
Panama
Highlighting the growing influence of Latinports
in the Latin American port sector, as was perceived
during TOC Americas 2010 that took place in
November in Rio de Janeiro, the TOC Worldwide
Events of London appointed the Chairman
of the Executive Committee and the Executive
Director of Latinports, Richard Klien and Julián
Palacio, respectively, in its advisory committee for
Latin America. Both of them, altogether with
professional expert analysts of the industry, such as
Carlos Urriola, president of the Caribbean Shipping
Association, and Paul Gallie, new Projects Manager
of APM Terminals for Latin America, supported
the TOC Container Supply Chain Americas
organization in designing the agenda of the most
important containers event of the continent.
As Panama proceeds with its historical expansion
of the Canal, TOC Americas returns to the country
for the third time in its 12-year history with a new
name and an extended agenda. The new image of
the Containers Chain of Supply of TOC Americas
2011 has all the analysis and discussion topics
that delegates have expected on the evolution
of container traffic, sea transportation and ports
of North and Latin America, but with an added
dimension of and from producers and retailers,
which cargo loads containers, ships, ports and
terminals.
The Containers Chain of Supply is extending
throughout the global portfolio of TOC-Events,
with the mission of facilitating dialogue among
cargo owners, logistics suppliers, port transportation
and industries, so all parties may work better
together in the face of undoubted challenges.
These challenges involve not only seeking the
most efficient flow of containers, predictable and
profitable from origin to destination, but at the same
time being the way to reduce the environmental and
social impact of the large volumes of commerce of
today’s containers.
The development of Panama is about to change
the face of world logistics for merchandises and the
regions, the surge of Latin America in the creation
of a new generation of world consumers and
exporters, and North America continuing to develop
its port of entry and its strategic corridor, in the face
of the recovery of its imports and the increase of its
exports; thus, there will not be much more to talk in
November.
Not less important is how all moneys from the
funds of such a required improvement for the
infrastructure in the Americas, becomes once
more an obstacle so that ports and terminals and
their connection to land transportation networks
accommodates to the continuous increases
in volumes and size of liners. How to obtain
financing and how to strongly work on the existing
infrastructure, will be another of the topics of
discussion in an extensive three-day program.
May - August 2011

21. Lloyd’s List Global Ports Conference
November 31-December 1st, 2011
London
England
Informa Maritime Events in association with Lloyds
List shall develop this leading event of the industry
with the main actors of the sector discussing the
last developments in emerging market investments,
global tendencies and construction of infrastructure.
Attending this event will help understand and obtain
answers to key questions that will define the sector
of the ports of the world, including:
• Tendencies in the global port sector –
providing sustainability and growth.
• The changing phase of liners – the era of
mega-ships.
• Growing markets and opportunities – where
are the ‘hot points’?
• Investments in emerging markets – Africa,
Latin America and India.
The chairman of the executive committee
of Latinports, Richard Klien, will participate
as lecturer in the panel ‘Challenges and
Opportunities for Latin American Ports, on
November 15th.
For more information please visit webpage www.
tocevents-americas.com and/or contact Sam
Whelan, Conference Producer, at
Sam.whelan@toc-events.com
Telephone: 44 207 0175675 London
• Increment of demand for short sea shipping
and connection with feeders.
• Tendencies towards small scale evolution and
investment in ports
• Port concessions – contractual and financial
issues.
The Executive Director of Latinports,
Julián Palacio, will make a presentation on
“Investments in Latin American Ports”.
For more information on the event please visit
webpage
www.lloydsmaritimeacademy.com and
www.informamaritimeevents.com or contact directly
Shelley Bullen at shelley.bullen@informa.com in
London.
Telephone 44 (0) 20 7017 5720
II Public-Private Annual Port Seminar
of Latinports and I Colombian
Congress of Ports
6-7 December 2011.
Hotel Las Américas
Colombia
See detailed information in the special article
above on this particular matter in this same
edition.
May - August 2011

22. Expobizz Montevideo
Trading, Logistics and Packaging
8-10 December 2011
LATU Park of Exhibitions
Montevideo
The progressive positioning obtained by Uruguay as
logistics operations center is the value proposal of this
international fair, specialized in foreign trade, logistics and
packaging, to be held at the LATU Park of Exhibitions
of Montevideo. The World Confederation of Businesses
(WORLDCOB) of Houston, Texas (USA) and
MERCOSOFT CONSULTORES of Uruguay are the
organizers of this convention, with the participation of
Latinports as strategic partner.
The objective of this important event is the generation
of new businesses among its 3,000 associated companies
in 60 countries and other leading participating companies
of different sectors of the market and the world. Three
activities will be developed: BUSINESSMATCH (Business
Appointments), a system required to establish business
appointments with other companies of related or different
items. SHOWROOM (Room of Exhibitions), a fair that
will enable participating companies to have the possibility
of selling their products and/or services at a module
or stand. EXPOROUND (Round of Exhibitions), an
opportunity to expose and make known offered products
and/or services.
Besides Latinports, several organizations have now joined
as international strategic partners, such as the Federación
de Agentes de Carga de América Latina y el Caribe
(ALACAT) (Federation of Latin American and Caribbean
Cargo Agents), Chamber of Commerce, Industry and
Production of the Republic of Argentina, Colombian
Logistics Association, National Chamber of Exporters
of Bolivia, National Chamber of Customs Dispatchers
of Bolivia, National Chamber of Industries of Bolivia,
Costa Rican Association of Logistics and other important
organizations of Brazil, Mexico and Chile. This convention
is expected to exceed 2010 figures, where were represented
250 participating companies and generated US$50 millions
in business intentions.
For more information we invite you to visit webpage
http://www.expobizz.com and contact Lisette
Menacho, Communications Manager, WORLD
CONFEDERATION OF BUSINESSES, telephone +1-
713-339-9900, Houston, Texas, USA.
May - August 2011

23. News of Latin American Ports
President of the Brazilian Association of Port
Terminals affirms the Government Discourages
Port Investments
Valor published an article of the president of the
Brazilian Association of Port Terminals ABTP,
Wilen Manteli, criticizing a resolution issued by
the Heritage Secretary’s Office of the Union,
determining the appraisal of the port terminals of
the country by “assignment of physical spaces in
public waters”. Manteli states that the country is
“living a setback in the port sector”, but that this
setback is in the field of taxes. He then explains
that with this resolution the government is causing
entering investments more expensive and creating
tributes “instead of using its force to encourage
investments as an engine for economic growth”.
At the end, the article affirms that the “port sector is
confused. There are so many bodies interfering and
inflating the regulation system of this activity that
the investor does not know who to pay attention to
or recur”. To amend this distortion would suffice
that the public power would respect the attributions
of SEP and Antaq. “Formulation of policies for
the sector is competence of the first entity, and
the second entity must implement these policies,
such as the regulation and inspection of port
activities”, states Manteli. He draws attention on the
importance of the sector for the competitiveness of
Brazilian companies and economic development,
and suggests this may not be done by increasing port
taxes, as will be the case.
In a further article, Valor refers to the resolution
imposed by a series of demands for leasing
port terminals and restricts profit margin of
entrepreneurs, quoting recently elected director of
Antaq, Pedro Brito, who in opposition to
Argentina
Tecplata on course for 2012 opening
According to Container Management, implementation
of phase one of ICTI’s 40 ha Tecplata project, at
the port of La Plata 60 kms south of Buenos Aires,
is reported to be well under way. The 450,000 TEU
capacity terminal, will have two to three berths on
600 m of quay initially which will be extended by
220 m to 820 m in the second phase.
Brasil
Government Plans the Concession of 45 Ports
The Agency Estado informed that the federal
government prepares a new model for the port
sector that foresees a “different management
philosophy” of that currently existing for Brazilian
ports. This is because “now all the operation has
already been privatized” in the so-called public ports,
the Executive is preparing guidelines for transfer
of port management to the private sector, besides
building new complexes in all the country on an
“urgency regime”. According to the text, “novelty
is now moving to private initiative the organized
concession ports” and “who wins will manage
and operate everything within the port, under the
supervision of Antaq”, in reference to tenders to be
opened for the concessions.
The entity has now identified 45 areas considered
as priority to receive private investments and the
process will begin with the tender of a new terminal
in Manaus, where the port situation is considered
“critical”.
May - August 2011

24. Movement of containers in Santos arriving at
its full capacity
Based on a study of the IDB published by Tribuna,
the projection of Companhia Docas do Estado of
Sao Paulo (Cosep) for 2011 amounts to 3 million
TEUs (an 11% increment compared to 11%
of 2010), fairly close to the static capacity of the
complex which is currently of 3.1 million TEUs.
The study adds that only during the three first
months of this year, movement increased 18.2% in
relation to the same period of 2011, adding up to
650.146 TEUS. The newspaper then emphasizes
that the port of Santos will arrive soon to its limit,
if forecasts are real. According to the strategic
planning and control director of Cosep, Renato
Barco, a “yellow sign” is on. He comments there will
be “a little more comfort in 2014”, when BTP and
Embraport terminals start operating. With these two
developments completely functioning, containers
movement capacity at the port of Santos will move
to 8.1 million TEUS in 2014, and demand will arrive
at 4.25 million (52% of the total).
AccordingtoTribuna,onapossiblecollapseof
portoperationspriortoenteringinoperationthe
newfacilities,BarcoaffirmsthatCodespisattentive
tothenumbersandassuredthereisnoreasonfor
greatconcernasthetwonewterminalsareaboutto
completeconstruction.Opposedtotheexecutive
of Codesp,agroupformedbycargoimportersand
exportersfromallthestate(Comus)isworriedwith
theoperationof theportforthenexttwoyearsand
callstheattentiononthetimesof stayforcontainers
intheyardsandtheincreasingmovementcostsinthe
complexof Santos.Accordingtothem,productivity
increaseinportterminalsmayintensifywithcustoms
transitof containersintosecondaryareas.
News of Latin American Ports
National Agency of Waterway Transportation
will revise the Port Leasing Model
The new director of the Water Transportation
National Agency of Brazil, Pedro Brito, informed
the entity will revise the Technical-Economic
Viability Studies of the port leasing model. “We shall
revise and adapt what is important to favor private
investment in ports, which is what we want to cause
the flow of the growth of Brazilian economy”,
stated Brito in a report to Tribuna.
In a meeting promoted by Antaq, the former
minister of ports, Pedro Brito, presented the new
model for the “economic-financial rebalance of
leasing contracts”, which foresees regular revisions
to the contracts every five years, both for new and
old leasing contracts. In addition, the manager of
public ports of Antaq, Jair Galvão, put the example
that “a flood affecting leasing areas and equipment
would undoubtedly be a fact justifying the economic
and financial revision of the contract prior to its
legal term of duration”.
criticizing the private initiative against the
resolution, the organization does not want to
control earnings. “Of course, that does not fit.
We will revise procedures”. The article adds that
according to sector entrepreneurs, the norm created
last year limits the inland rate of return of the
business between 8% and 9%, which according
to the president of ABTP, Wilen Manteli, “is an
intromission in the life of the entrepreneurial sector
based on no legal base whatsoever”, adding that
the obligation of companies to reveal the origin
of cargo in order to participate in a tender “is a
professional secret”.
May - August 2011

25. News of Latin American Ports
Logisticsgainsimportanceinoperationsof
SantosBrazilandLibra
Valorhighlightsthatbusinessof thetwogroups,besides
loadingandunloadingoperationsof merchandises
attheport,hasthepurposeof gainingmusclewitha
networkof assetsthatwillenablesellinganintegrated
solutiontoclientthroughlogistics.Forthispurposethe
companiescreatedspecificdivisionsduringthepast
years,whichrepresent18%of thebillingof Santos
Braziland16%of Libra.
ThisreportmakesevidentthatSantosBrazilis
theleaderof thesectorwithalargercapacity.Its
commercialdirector,MauroSalgado,commentsthat
logisticsoperationseliminateinefficienciesthatresult
whentheprocessisatomizedinanetworkof different
companies,besidesthepreferenceof themarketthat
preferstalkingtoonlyoneindividualtomanagethe
entirechain.Salgadoaddsthata“greatemblematic
example”isthecontractwithMercedesBenz,detailing
thatthecompanywasalreadyimportingthrough
theportterminalof SantosBrazil,andenteredinto
acontractsixmonthsagotomanageitscargoflow
involvingtheplantinSaoPauloandincludingthetruck
assemblyline.
Regarding the plans of Libra, with an assets
portfolio including two export sites at Bajada
Santista and a dry port in Campinas, the report of
Valor informs that the group expects to increase its
billing ten times in a five-year term. According to
the president of Libra Logística, Eduardo Leonel,
besides organic growth, leap will be entered through
acquisitions and mergers. According to the executive,
“the main focus is storage areas so we may have a
fairly robust net, with maximum one day travel by
road”. He does not doubt the time will come when
logistics activity will assume the same percentage of
importance than that of the port activity within the
group.
OMX will start building Puerto Castilla in the
beginning of 2012
With an investment of US$300 millions, the
Chilean company OMX Operaciones Marítimas,
subsidiary of the Brazilian group EBX, expects to
start construction at the beginning of 2012 of its
multi-purpose unit Puerto Castilla, in the northern
III Region. The facilities will have three terminals
and may receive post-Panamax and Capesize ships,
the latter with a capacity of 170,000 deadweight tons
(DWT).
“We already have the environmental approval, which
means we have the green light to start projects. We
are currently negotiating long-term contracts for
the use of the port, and if these are successful, we
expect to start construction the beginning of next
year. “The construction will last two years”, stated
to BNAmericas the manager of Puerto Castilla, Jorge
Ronda. OMX has prequalified four companies
for the construction of the port and is developing
a turnkey tender focused on terminals of copper
concentrates and coal for the port. “There has
been great interest of Chilean and international
construction companies to build the port, but we
cannot develop a tender process with 20 participants.
The selected companies will have 75 days to present
a formal offer that will include detailed engineering,
acquisition of equipment and construction”, added
the executive.
The port is designed to import up to 6 million tons
of coal and export 2 million tons of copper and
10 million tons of mineral ore. Port facilities will
supply the Castilla coal-fired power plant of 2.1GW,
its installation in charge of the sister company of
OMX, MPX Energia.
Chile
May - August 2011

26. News of Latin American Ports
The Prime Minister of Canada Attended
the Signature of the Trust Agreement by the
Canadian Amega
Business News Americas informed that the general
director of Americas Gateway Development
Corporation (Amega), Aubrey de Young, entered
into a trust agreement with the government of
Costa Rica for the construction of the new transfer
terminal to be located next to the port of Moín.
The press conference held prior to the signing was
attended by the Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen
Harper, and the President of Costa Rica, Laura
Chinchilla.
The Costa Rican government must now select
an independent auditor for the Project and in the
meantime, Amega will start working in the studies
and designs for the port Project appraised in
US$900mm, to be concluded in August 2012. Once
designs have been presented, the government has
three months to revise the plans and call for bid.
The transfer terminal will have a capacity to handle
2 million TEUs per year with a dock 1-km long, a
19m deep access channel to the port of Moín and a
berthing for three containerships with a capacity of
15,000 TEUs each.
On the other hand, the manager of Puerto Castilla
stated that the government of the III Region north
of Chile is working so the international passage of
San Francisco may be an alternative to the passage
Los Libertadores that links Santiago with Mendoza,
Argentina. Los Libertadores, located in the V Region
of the central zone, is the main international passage
to Argentina and handles about 5 million tons of
cargo per year, which represents 70% of the land
cargo transportation between the two countries. “In
winter it is closed most of the time, therefore plan B
is currently the passage Cardenal Samoré in Osorno,
one thousand kilometers south, where weather
conditions are even worse. Therefore, we have been
working in the regional government to eventually
make of San Francisco the plan B”, stated Ronda.
Modernization of the Chilean side of the passage
must be completed by mid-2012; on the other hand,
works in the Argentinean side have been completed.
The project involves paving 109 km of Route 31-
CH, as well as the passage itself, and will require
an investment of approximately US$34.6 million,
according to the website of the governor’s office of
the III Region. Once works have been completed in
the new route, trucks leaving Cordoba, in Argentina,
may transit to the new port to make shipments
through the Pacific instead of going to Rosario or
Buenos Aires, stated Ronda.
Costa Rica
May - August 2011

27. News of Latin American Ports
Port of Singapur will manage the container
terminal of Mariel
According to Reuters agency quoted by Container
Management, the Port Authority of Singapur PSA,
through PSA International, has silently signed
the management of a containers terminal in
construction at the port of Mariel. The terminal is
part of a more extensive plan for the development
of Mariel Bay, 45 km west of Havana, in the
potentially most important Caribbean port for hub
cargo. Also, Container Management quoting official
sources in its July-August 2011 edition adds that the
agreement was to manage the port and does not
imply any investment by PSA International.
Mariel is one of the most important ports along the
northern coast of Cuba and is destined to replace
Havana, the main port of the country, in the years
to come. Having in mind that the terminal foresees
to start operations in 2014, when the largest vessels
will start transit through the Panama Canal, currently
in expansion, it is believed that PSA International
will then participate in the planning of the terminal.
The Mariel terminal that will have to begin with
700 m of dock is ideally located to handle cargo
from the United States, if the commercial embargo
to this country is eventually raised, and would
receive U.S. food exports. Plans for 2022 are called
to make of Mariel the base of logistics facilities
for the exploration and exploitation of offshore
oil, the terminal of containers, and the facility
for general cargo and food in bulk, and also the
Special Economic Zone of Development for light
manufacture and warehousing.
Concession granted for the most important
inland port of the country
Described by the director of the Corporación
Autónoma Regional del Río Grande de la
Magdalena (Cormagdalena) as “the port of Bogotá”,
last June 10th the national government signed a
25-year concession contract with Sociedad Portuaria
Multimodal del Río Magdalena S.A.(Multipuerto
Salgar), a public-private entity, mostly privately-
owned and established eight years ago. Studies
contracted through the U.S. Trade Development
Agency (USTDA), the consultant firm TEC Inc.,
altogether with its U.S. associates Nathan Associates
and Pacon Americas, and its Colombian associate
Emdepa Consultoría, developed last year with
excellent results the Rehabilitation Study for the
River Terminal of Puerto Salgar. This terminal,
located 190 km from Bogotá by road (170 km and
only two hours of travel, once the double-lane
highway, now under construction, is completed)
and 880 km from Barranquilla by the Magdalena
River is meant to become the main transportation
node of the country, according to the president
of the Colombian Chamber of Infrastructure,
Juan Martín Caicedo, as “it is the only one in the
country where the river, railroad, road, airport and
pipeline converge”. Precisely, through the pipeline
that will arrive to Puerto Salgar (currently it is
only at a distance of two kilometers), one of the
main products to transport downstream is oil that
is produced in the Llanos Orientales, southeast
of Bogotá, and that has made of Colombia the
third Latin American producer of this product,
after Venezuela and Brazil. Likewise, coal will be
transported from the mines located only 70 km
from the port. Starting early operation is foreseen for
the last quarter of this year.
Cuba
May - August 2011
Colombia

28. News of Latin American Ports
Concessão para novo terminal em Lázaro
Cárdenas enfrenta possível cancelamento.
According to BNAmericas, a tender for the
construction of a second containers terminal in
the port of Lázaro Cárdenas, on the Pacific coast
of Mexico, will be probably cancelled. The Federal
Court for Fiscal and Administrative Justice ruled that
the tender was not valid but, the Secretary’s Office
of Communications and Transportation (SCT, in
Spanish) instead of stopping the tender process,
took the case to the Court of Appeals. “The
probability that this ruling is firm is very high”, states
the analysis done by the port operator Hutchinson
Port Holdings HPH that has been operating the first
containers terminal of the port as of 2007.
Mexico
Brazil has donated US$800 million to finance
infrastructure and port facilities construction now
underway, jointly with the Odebrecht group, the
largest construction and engineering company of
that country. According to presidential counselor
Marco Aurelio García, US$400 million have been
disbursed, and another US$200 million have been
approved, the balance amount is being studied. The
port of Mariel will handle vessels with more than
15m draft, compared to 11m of Havana and will
have a capacity to handle between 850,000 and one
million containers per year, compared to 350,000 at
Havana.
May - August 2011
Contracted study on short sea shipping
transportation
According to the report of MBW Mexican Business
Web, as of mid-June the consulting firm IDOM was
granted the ruling in the tender for the development
of the “Study to analyze the viability of short sea
shipping transportation within Mexico and to
North America, and its implementation strategy”,
which will be ready in approximately 6 months. The
tender, in which also participated the consulting
firm AT Kearney, was summoned by the General
Coordination of Ports and Merchant Marine.
HPH indicated that the port authority arbitrarily
modified its master development plan in order to
continue with the tender of the second terminal.
The SCT called the tender for the construction
and operation of the second terminal in Lázaro
Cárdenas in February of this year, and set
the reception of offers for August. The 30-
year concession implied developing an area of
850.000m2 that could be extended to 170.000m2,
and the construction of a specialized containers
terminal, which would require an estimated
investment of US$500 millions and a capacity to
move 2 million TEUs per year.
The development plan of the port allows extending
the first terminal in three specific phases, and HPH’s
argument is that at the time the second tender was
done, times of execution of the development plan
were not respected, which could affect its present
investments. Unless the tender is suspended, the
port authority will face compensation demands by
bidders that have “committed efforts and resources
in a legally flawed process”, according to HPH.

29. APM Terminals sign a 30-year concession for
the terminal in Callao
In its last edition, Container Management informed
that a new contract for the development and
operation of the Terminal Muelle Norte (North
Terminal) was signed last May 12th by President
Alan García and representatives of APM Terminals
and its local partner, Central Portuaria SAC, at the
Presidential Palace in Lima.
Peru
Uruguay
News of Latin American Ports
Luis Pérez, consultant of IDOM, commented that
one of the decisive factors to be granted the tender
was the experience of the consulting firm in the sea
sector and in this type of similar studies in Europe,
where developed projects have been the Marco
Polo program and the MEDA Mos. In Mexico
there exists the experience of short sea shipping
transportation in several initiatives: besides cabotage
for oil products, there is the experience of the
railway-ship service of Coatzacoalcos to Mobile, in
the United States; the Peninsular Line from Puerto
Progreso to Panama City; and the recent operation
of the Nafta Gulf Bridge, from Veracruz to Mobile.
The purpose of the tender study was to determine
the viability and competitiveness of Short Sea
Shipping Transportation (SSST) in the Mexican
case, both for inland (cabotage) and foreign trade
with North American countries, for cargos currently
being transported by land (road and/or railroad),
placing an emphasis on containers. Likewise,
SSST routes must be proposed, both cabotage
and international routes, for the transportation of
detected volumes, considering any legal, commercial,
environmental and infrastructure restrictions that
have prevented the development of SSST. It will
also include logistics factors and costs generated
by land transportation regarding the movement of
merchandises indirectly affecting national economy,
with the purpose that these, in each case, be
redirected to promote SSST.
In case the above is viable, the study will establish
the viability of the SSST and will present public
policy recommendations for its promotion and
instrumentation, evaluating costs and benefits for
proposed measures, suggesting an instrumentation
plan to operate detected routes.
May - August 2011
The ports of the country may be saturated in
the coming years
According to the informative Valor of Brazil, an
article regarding the economic growth of Uruguay
in the last years establishing the dependence on
the economy of the country in relation to Brazil,
states that currency revaluation and infrastructure
bottlenecks are two of the main threats for the
growth of the country in the coming years. The
Brazilian publication adds that port matters “raises
fears among the private sector”, detailing that in
June the movement of containers in the port of
Montevideo set a historical record having reached
80,040 TEUs, and that the growth for the first
semester was 45% compared to the same period
of previous year. “We see a saturation of current
structure for 2015” commented Roberto Mérola,
director of Schandy, holding controlling

30. News of Latin American Ports
an expansion project for the port of La Guaira
in the state of Vargas, which cost will be US$400
millions. The expansion will allow the port to
receive vessels transporting up to 6,500 TEUs,
which represent an increase of more than three
times its current capacity. Works will be executed
by the Portuguese constructor Texeira Duarte and
involve the incorporation of 23.7 hectares to the
port’s existing area, thus the port will receive 600,000
TEUs per year as of 2016, when the project will
materialize.
The Ministry entered into an agreement for
US$400mm for the expansion of the port of La
Guaira
The Ministry of Transportation and
Communications of Venezuela entered into an
agreement with the Government of Portugal to start
Montecon, the biggest port operator of Montevideo
with approximately 200,000 TEUs per year. One
of the main bottlenecks, according to Mérola, is the
existence of only one dock having a depth of more
than 34 feet. The last tender for the expansion of
the port that took place last year, had no offers.
Congratulations. I share with you that the
logistics matrix is today the big issue.
Rodolfo García
Executive Vice-president
Maritime Port Chamber
Valparaíso, Chile
Congratulations for the Latinports report!
It is very well and will help us a lot to know
what is happening in Latin America.
Antonio Carlos Sepúlveda
President
Containers Terminal, Santos Brazil
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Mail
Venezuela
May - August 2011

31. Thanks for the information. Very
interesting the criteria of the former
Minister of Ports of Brazil
Iliana González
Executive Director
Association of Private Port Terminals,
ASOTEP
Guayaquil, Ecuador
I believe – and several persons have told
me – that it was a very interesting interview,
as we do not always have the opportunity
to publish such a decisive and well-argued
opinion.
Catherine Setterfield
Infrastructure Editor
Business News Americas
Chile
I really appreciate, above all, being
considered an addressee of information
related to waterway issues. Much is yet to be
strengthened in the design of solutions that
favor developing logistics channels by means
of competitive costs. It is the challenge for all
and once again receiving relevant information
will be the best contribution.
José Qwistgaard
General Director Water Transportation
Ministry of Transportation and
Communications
Peru
I read with great attention your interesting
report in BNAmericas. I hope your good
advice is read not only by entrepreneurs that
regularly visit this site, but also by leaders.
Inland transportation costs receive little
attention in our region, with the exception
of Brazil, and few governments have a good
vision of how logistics costs are established
and most have such partial approaches that
they do not see the global scene. Every day
we are seeing examples and the saying that
‘trees do not let see the forest’ is something
real in our region.
Antonio Zuidwijk
Consultant (Former Murchison)
Argentina
May - August 2011

32. With a warm greeting, congratulations for
advancements and achievements, reflected
in the relationship with Hutchinson Ports
Holding.
Héctor Laserna
General Manager
Terminal of Liquid Bulk of Santa Marta,
Terlica
Santa Marta, Colombia
Sending our congratulations on the job as head
of the Latin American Association of Ports
and Terminals.
Rubens Markus
Brazilian Association of Port Entities and
Waterwatys ABEPH
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
A very interesting report.
Fernando Reveco
Development and Projects Manager
Ultramar Group
Santiago, Chile
An excellent report, congratulations. You
have worked really hard
Domingo Chinea
General Manager
Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Buenaventura
Colombia
We are pleased that you continue sending us
such good news.
Lorena Castañeda
Project Manager & Marketing
e-Technologies Solutions Corp.
West Palm Beach, Florida
USA
Thanks for the bulletin; very interesting.
Edgar Higuera
Executive Director
Chamber of Logistics Services
National Association of Entrepreneurs of
Colombia
Bogotá, Colômbia
I appreciate your message with the informative
bulletin of Latinports, with matters very well
analyzed and circulated among the Unions of
Port Operators affiliated to our federation and
to the Management Manpower Bodies of the
Brazilian port community.
William Cady Jr.
Executive Director
National Federation of Port Operators,
FENOP
Brazil
May - August 2011