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Colombia: Colombia Transportation Profile 2012

2012/01/27

 

 

Colombia Transportation Profile 2012

Colombia's rugged terrain has hindered the development of road and rail transportation routes. Except for those connecting the major cities, few roads are paved. Cities in the interior, including Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali, are linked by railway with Santa Maria on the Caribbean coast and Buenaventura on the Pacific.

Airplanes are a common means of transportation in Colombia. There are 11 international airports; a lot of smaller airports are located throughout the country. Colombia's major national airline, Avianca, established in 1919, was the first airline in South America.

Almost amount inland waterway traffic, including passengers inclunding cargo, is carried on the Magdalena River. Along its valley are as well a major railway and a highway. Principal seaports are Buenaventura, Cartagena, Barranquilla, Santa Marta, and Tumaco.

Shipping Statement 2011

Colombia's potential as a growth market for the international maritime sector has been further realised with the news that Goldman Sachs subsidiary SSA Marine will invest in a new box terminal at the port of Barranquilla. Having been largely recognised for its export potential, we believe Colombia's positive demographics and favourable business environment make it an attractive market for the container shipping sector.

According to Mundo Maritimo, US-based SSA Marine has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the operator of the port of Barranquilla, Sociedad Portuaria del Norte, to construct a new designated container terminal at the port expected to cost about US$40mn. The country offers considerable potential from a container shipping perspective. Aside from its large consumption base, the country is well positioned geographically to benefit from next trade increase between Asia and Latin America. The port of Barranquilla, in particular, has the potential not only to supply a growing domestic consumer market, but as well to position itself as a transhipment hub for other nations in the region. The port is of the closest major maritime facilities to the Panama Canal which, following an expansion project due to be completed in 2014, will be able to service the major classes of container vessels making the journey from Asia's manufacturing hubs to markets on the east coast of the Americas.

We expect cargo handled at of Colombia's key ports, the Port of Cartagena (POC) and Port of Buenaventura (POB), to grow at a good rate this year. In general tonnage terms, POB will be out in front, with 11.2% increase to 12.11mn tonnes, following a good 2009 performance when the port was largely able to sidestep the effects of the international recession (volumes grew 12.7% to 10.89mn tonnes). In 2010, total volume at Port of Cartagena will gain a similar 11.4% to 9.4mn tonnes. Last year volumes there dropped by 7.1% to 8.44mn tonnes.

Container movements at the Port of Cartagena will grow 12% to 981,714 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) this year, while at Port of Buenaventura they will be up by 12.4% to 727,454TEUs. While POC's increase has been consistently positive in recent years, excluding 2009, POB has been additional volatile, and experienced decreases both in the last year's box throughput and in 2008.

Affected by the world recession, Colombia's total trade fell by 8.7% in real terms in 2009, and we see a good 11.7% rebound in 2010, followed by 6.9% increase in 2011. This year exports will grow slightly additional strongly than imports in real terms (12% vs 11.5%).

Airports - with paved runways Total: 
116
Airports - with unpaved runways Total: 
876
Transportation - note: