Puerto Cortés is a city located in the northwest of Honduras, in whose territory is located the main port of Central America. With the help of Operadora Portuaria Centroamericana, this transportation and trade center operates with the best international practices of security, innovation and technology in the search to contribute to the transformation of foreign trade in the country and the region.
This was announced at the Puerto Cortés forum, organized on Thursday, December 3, 2020 by the National Investment Commission, where experts pointed out the tangible benefits achieved after six years of integrated management.
Modernization and development
Puerto Cortés, as a result of an investment of more than US$ 285 million in infrastructure and technology in recent years by Operadora Portuaria Centroamericana (OPC), has achieved modernization and development. This has allowed for an increase in port cargo and a significant reduction in customer and user service times, both for ships and external trucks, confirmed Valmir Castro de Araujo, Commercial Manager of OPC.
“Investments in the terminal have allowed Puerto Cortés to increase its operating capacity to 1 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) annually,” said the executive. He added: “Pier 6 was inaugurated and Super Post Panamax cranes, 350 additional meters of new dock and a depth of 14 meters are available.”
Additionally, the total service times per truck within the terminal have been improved to 42 minutes.
Araujo mentioned that all the authorities involved in the customs process are located at the Puerto Cortés logistics center to expedite clearance.
Along these lines, he commented that 30 hours of annual investment has been made in training human capital, incorporating women and the disabled.
Thus, the improvements allowed Puerto Cortés to have greater capacity, efficiency and technology in the Central American Agreement on Free Mobility or CA-4 (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua).
Security and continuous improvement
As part of this progress in modernization and development, the OPC company has made the issue of security one of its main pillars in its management, managing to transform Puerto Cortés into one of the safest ports in the region.
It is the only terminal in the region that has the Container Security Initiative (CSI) certification, granted by the US Customs and Border Protection (CNP).
This initiative allows containers bound for the United States to arrive pre-released by the authorities, which implies a lower risk for the Customs Service of that country, and therefore, lower costs for the loads at destination, translating into greater security and competitiveness for exporters who use the Puerto Cortés terminal.
OPC also maintains the “Ship and Port Facility Protection (PBIP)” certification, which focuses on physical security and guarantees protection within the terminal.
“This security is important for the customs officer who works in the OPC warehouse. This security gives Honduras support and a guarantee of confidence at an international level for import and export operations,” explained attorney Marco Tulio Abadie, National Director of Customs Operations.
He also said that “Customs adapted the processes to the current requirements of foreign trade to guarantee the movement of goods in a way that does not impede, but rather facilitates the exchange. Every process is mapped, transparent and digital. Let us not forget that Customs is a national security institution. Therefore, it must ensure the international logistics chain to strengthen legal international trade, a fundamental driver for economic recovery,” concluded Marco Tulio Abadie.
Aduana News is the first Argentine customs newspaper to launch its digital version. With 20 years of experience, its publications and initiatives aim to provide the most relevant knowledge on customs issues in order to contribute to safe trade in the region.
