maritime

Panama keeps shipping ranking

The country is ranked in the top 30 in the world for shipping services.

la prensa

on course: Panama is hoping to expand the services it offers to shipping companies.1109917

Panama remains among the 30 best connected countries in the world in terms of shipping services, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The entity recently ranked Panama number 28 on a list of 163 countries in terms of container cargo capacity, number of vessels, the number of shipping companies and the services offered within the industry.

China, Hong Kong and Singapore led the list. In Latin America, Panama was number three, after Mexico and Brazil. According to this index, Panama has remained in 28th position since 2006, but has fallen compared to 2004 when it was ranked 22nd.

According to an analysis by Jan Hoffmann, chief of UNCTAD's department of logistics, “Panama has the benefit of having ports located at both entrances to the Canal.”

An average of 38 boats a day transit the Canal, and the national port system mobilized 4 million containers in 2007 and plans to finish 2008 with a figure of more than 5 million.

Panama can improve its position in the index of connectivity by changing its approach to the movement of cargo, UNCTAD officials said.

The general secretary of the Panama Maritime Authority, Carlos Ernesto Gonzalez De La Lastra, recognizes that to achieve this goal, the country must amend its maritime strategy. This will involve changing from simply a transit point for containers to adding value to them or providing additional services.

Many of these services are already offered in nearby ports, such as Cartagena, Colombia. The new maritime strategy has already been approved by the authority and will soon be presented to the government.