While Panama is seeking to become a logistical hub of the world, a study by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) highlights the slowdown in port activity of Panama who grew up only a 1.8% in 2015 and the strong increase in activity in the other countries of Central America.
The so-called study "under the dynamism in the container trade and port activity in the world, Latin America and the Caribbean, 2014-2015", indicates that the activity at the country level grew from 6.4% in El Salvador, a 6.9% in Guatemala in a 8.9% in Honduras and 27% in Nicaragua. Also highlights important increases in Colombia with 13.1% and Mexico with 7.4%.
However, only two countries in the region show a fall in their activity, such as Brazil with - 2.1% and Peru with - 3.6%.
Experts indicate that it has any relationship those increases in volumes of local load of Central America with the load moving in Panama which is primarily cargo transshipment, since Honduras and Nicaragua are not regarded as trans-shipment ports.
However, if they pay attention to the increase that has had on the activity of the movement of containers in Mexico and Colombia, were benefited with the burden left Panama for the issue of strikes at the port of Balboa a few years ago.
The report stresses that global and regional traffic of containers in ports had under dynamism, since the world grew only 1.1% for 2015.
The truth is that the activity of the movement of containers in the ports has not improved in the first months of this year.
Until the month of February, according to figures from the maritime authority of Panama (AMP), activity fell 11.7% compared to same period of the previous year and according to sources of the sector, in March, also registered a significant drop.
Study
The study by ECLAC indicates that "in 2015 the ports of Central America maintain its growth rate of 3.4 percent in 2014."
However, the slowdown in activity in Panamanian ports, with a growth of only 1.8% in 2015, hides the strong increase in activity in other countries of Central America, excluding Panama, these countries show an increase in the movement of containers in a 6.7% in 2015 ".
Experts suggest that this decline in activity in Panama is due to the global economic situation, such as the devaluation of currencies in several countries, which reduces the purchasing power of people and affects the load.
However, it urges the authorities to consult with experts when they intend to increase any fee or tax.
Julio De La Lastra, President of the National Council of private enterprise (Conep), said that ports are competitive as well as the rates, but that puts the country at a disadvantage when it begins to give surcharge load.
De La Lastra said that Panama refers inspection of containers by machines of x-rays, which would be unfortunate because it is not practised in other countries of trans-shipment.
He also stressed the claim to increase the rates for the services provided by the maritime authority of Panama (AMP), among others.
He warned that "we have to understand that a dollar when it comes to move containers, it has a negative impact to the shipping companies and the shipping company will seek cost - benefit, it will look for a place where you can exercise operations more profitably".
Competition
He acknowledged that there is strong in the region competition, since Colombia has rebounded well, Mexico has aspiration of becoming not only ideal transhipment workplace, but in the forced passage of charge through a channel dry, competing with the Panama Canal.
So also are Jamaica and Puerto Rico, who want to have their own transshipment, and Costa Rica, the neighboring country that is with the possibility of having modern ports on both coasts and attracting the business of trans-shipment of Panama.
"The idea is to attract the largest number of shipping companies to ensure competitive prices, services and prices," he said.
Rommel Troetsch, former President of the Chamber of shipping of Panama, said that "this may indicate us that shipping companies may be moving the transfer of Central America which is registered in Panama, countries such as Mexico, since this country has made big investments port at Lazaro Cardenas and Manzanillo, in the last five years, and these ports in addition receive the same panamax ships arriving in Panama" It said.
According to Troetsch, this situation may be due to better rates, for the trans-shipment of cargo and a better connection with feeder vessels that distribute the load to Central America.
He noted that in general the ports of the region have lower fees to Panama for the transshipment cargo, which is due, above all, because they have much local load and transfer to them is an extrabono.
However, Luciano Fernández, official of the Panama Chamber of shipping, does not coincide with this statement, since he noted that cargo volumes moved by these ports in Central America are very low.
"Central America is having a major port development for their economies and this increase is a reflection of investments, there is also an important migration of land cargo at sea," he said.
He indicated that he has no relationship those increases in volumes of local load of Central America with the load moving in Panama which is primarily cargo transshipment.
He said that in fact, already be had anticipated that 2016 would be a difficult year and perhaps for the 2017 we would start to see positive changes in this trend.
He stressed that to understand the phenomenon that is happening in the sector should see the behavior of the currencies of the major economies of the region, all are presenting unfavorable exchange rates.
"The purchasing power of these countries has decreased, by what sold in raw they are receiving less income, but what they have to pay for the then finished goods cost them more," he said.
"While it is true that this situation can be classified as normal during economic cycles, it has strong effects on the maritime and logistics sectors, and here is where we can continue setting the tone and leadership within the region", he said.