Port Everglades ranks number six for U.S. trade with Colombia

On Wednesday (Nov 20), Broward County's Port Everglades and the Port of Barranquilla, Colombia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as part of a joint Sister Seaports agreement during the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) Latin American Congress of Ports held in Miami.​

Port Everglades and Port of Barranquilla, Colombia Sign MOU

As Port Everglades’ 5th largest trading partner, Colombia’s largest port along the Caribbean Sea, the Port of Barranquilla, has agreed to enter into an MOU to promote bilateral trade. Port Everglades' trade with Colombia has increased by 29 percent over the last four years.​

“International trade promotion is a priority of our Port and County for generating economic prosperity,“ said Broward County Mayor Dale V.C. Holness, who signed the MOU document on behalf of Port Everglades. “Our port’s trade with Colombia alone in 2018 reached $1.19 billion.”​

The two ports want to establish an alliance of cooperation aimed at facilitating international trade and generating new business by promoting the sea trade routes between the two countries. The MOU outlines joint initiatives, including marketing activities and market studies, training, and sharing of information on technology, modernization and improvements.​

“As the logistics platform that connects Colombia to the world, it’s important for us to be Port Everglades’ partner in order to share best practices, increasing demand for Colombia’s perishable goods in the United States, and to be able to offer added value services to our clients for whom Florida is a main commercial destination.” said Rene Puche, President & CEO, Port of Barranquilla, who signed the MOU document.​

“Colombia is an important trade partner for Port Everglades and the nation,” said Acting Chief Executive & Port Director Glenn Wiltshire, who signed the MOU document for Port Everglades. “Port Everglades ranked number six for United States’ trade with Colombia, accounting for 4.12 percent of the nation’s total trade in 2018.”​

In recent trade with Colombia, Port Everglades handled 33,207 TEUs from October 2018 through June 2019. Top import commodities included aluminum, wood, fruits, beverages, glassware, ceramic, plastics, and vegetables. Top export commodities included printers, machinery, vehicles, furniture, iron, steel, wood, essential oils, and perfumes. Nearly a third of Colombia’s trade with Port Everglades was with the Port of Barranquilla, primarily aluminum, glass, and ceramic commodities. 

ABOUT Port Everglades: 

As one of Florida’s leading economic powerhouses, Broward County’s Port Everglades is the gateway for international trade and cruise vacations. Consistently ranked among the top three busiest cruise ports in the world, Port Everglades is also one of the nation’s leading container ports, and South Florida’s main seaport for receiving petroleum products including gasoline, jet fuel and alternative fuels.​

ABOUT Port of Barranquilla: 

Located 22 kilometers from the mouth of the Magdalena River on the Caribbean Sea, the Port of Barranquilla, is the most important maritime and fluvial multipurpose terminal on the Colombian Caribbean Coast. It has a 94-hectare area with a 1,058-meter dock making it capable of handling containers, refrigerated and frozen cargo, bulk, coke, general cargo and special project cargo (ultra-heavy and over-sized). With a wealth of experience, the Port of Barranquilla offers a variety of complementary services to provide added value and increase the users’ competitiveness and connectivity.​

ABOUT AAPA Latin American Congress of Ports: 

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) is holding its XXVIII Latin American Congress of Ports in Miami, FL. This event, also known as AAPA LATINO, gathers more than 400 port leaders and international experts every year, positioning itself as one of the most important Business Forums of the industry. This is the first year the AAPA Latin American Congress is being held in North America. 

Source: Port Everglades (Additional information about the Port of Everglades at CruiseMapper)