Shipping to Colombia

Barranquilla port is located 10 miles off the coast of Colombia, on the western bank of the Magdalena River, and services the region’s industries. It is a substantial port with multiple docks and designated terminals, including Monomeros, Gracetales, Vopak, SP Del Norte, and Port Magdalena, which yearly handle 3,327,500 tonnes of cargo, 99,000 TEU, and over 1000 ships.

It is the biggest Caribbean seaport, accommodating containerized products, bulk cargo, liquid bulk, and dry cargo like sugar, wood, fabrics, synthetic fibers, steel, and health supplements, which make up the majority of exports. It is operated and maintained by the Harbour Society of the North SA. Rolling wires, steel, cereals, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, metal products, tuna, groceries, and cars are among the major imports.

Due to the opening of the Buenaventura port on the Pacific coast in the late 1990s, sea traffic has decreased, although it still handles the bulk of coffee and petroleum products from the country’s interiors. It’s also linked to northern Colombia’s oil and gas pipelines.

The Buenaventura port is located in the Republic of Colombia’s southwestern region, bordering the Pacific Ocean. Because of its strategic location among important worldwide shipping routes, it is the country’s principal port in the Pacific, handling a considerable port of the country’s foreign marine traffic. Buenaventura is also one of South America’s most important ports, with direct access to Southeast and East Asian markets.

Coffee and sugar from the Cauca river basins, timber from Columbia’s southwest coastal forests, and valuable metals like gold and platinum produced in the north are all shipped through this port. It is connected to the refinery at Puerto Berrio by a huge oil pipeline, which takes it to the port’s storage tanks at the liquid bulk terminal, where it is delivered to Europe, Asia, and neighboring countries.

The port, which is located on the Cascajal island near the Dagua river, engages in international and inland commerce of bulk products, general cargo, and containers through its 14 docks, which span 2100 meters and were built specifically to satisfy operating needs. The Port Society manages 12 ports, while private operators handle two others.

Sugar, fertilizers, vehicles, liquid chemicals, and petroleum products are the most common commodities processed at the facility, which has a maximum LOA of 210 meters and a draught of 10 meters. Every year, the port handles around 1200 ships and 8,550,000 tonnes of cargo, including 706,500 TEU.

Due to the opening of the Buenaventura harbor on the Pacific coast in the late 1990s, sea traffic has decreased, although it still handles the bulk of coffee and oil products from the country’s interiors. It’s also connected to northern Colombia’s oil and gas pipelines.

The Caribbean port of Santa Marta is about 50 miles from Barranquilla. It is a substantial commercial facility with an inner port and seven cargo docks with a total length of 1200 meters, mostly for grain imports. It transports coal, fruits, refined oil, containers, coffee, and bulk liquids, among other commodities. Santa Marta is Columbia’s third-largest port by cargo volume, with roughly 1000 ships passing through each year, carrying 3,320,000 tonnes of cargo.

Panamax-size ships with a length of 230 meters and a draught of 12 meters can dock at the port. It has sophisticated port operational systems as well as fully working port equipment. Two post-Panamax cranes and transtainers are available at the container terminal. It is now operating at 60% capacity and is connected to the rest of the country by highways and railroads. It provides a variety of services, including container cleaning and maintenance. The port also gets humanitarian goods destined for some of the region’s poorest countries.

The 9-hectare storage facility includes five warehouses and two administrative offices. It also includes 580 reefer connections and cold storage facilities. The storage facility can hold up to 100,000 tonnes of grain. A mechanical grain elevator and a suction system connect three silos, which can handle 400 to 600 tonnes per hour.