The Port Company Quetzal (EPQ) in Escuintla, registered on Friday, March 21 in the anchor zone about 40 ships for the import and export of goods waiting to find a space to make the maneuvers loading and discharge.
The information was confirmed by the president of the Board of Directors of La Portuaria, Vice Admiral José Antonio Lemus Guzmán, who attributes it to an increase in demand in the provision of maritime services by economic agents.
He justified that the conditions of the commercial docks have not changed in the sense of having more available spaces or an extension to serve more merchant crews, so congestion is maintained.
List reasons
The manager stressed that there is no more infrastructure for Zapar maneuvers and the second is that in the loads by which the products are transported, it is in larger ships (which is known as a length that is the length) that four cannot be served, but three (so the space is reduced) by the Esloras, “which is what has complicated in the operations”.
“This congestion is not going to be resolved until more spring is available or that smaller ships arrive, but that affects the economy of scale,” said the director of the port.
“The conditions of the commercial docks have not changed in the sense of having more available spaces or an extension to serve more merchant crews, so congestion is maintained”
José Antonio Lemus Guzmán, President EPQ
He reiterated that they have observed in the first quarter of the year, an increase in the demand for maritime transport services, which are transferred in larger vessels, which do not allow four ships to be attended on the dock.
Most ships are Charters which are hired for bulk goods transport services, since container ships belong to shipping lines that already have frequencies for their cattle docking the EPQ.
What is transported?
According to the EPQ, the ships that are on anchor to March 21 transport the following products:
Import
- Grains: 10
- Iron: 9
- Wheat: 6
- Fertilizer: 1
- Salt: 1
- Cement: 1
- Vehicles: 1
- Jumbos: 1
Export
- Sugar in bags and bulk: 9
- Alcohol: 1
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY
That a ship is in an anchorage waiting to perform maneuvers to embark products, implies costs that move to the final consumer. Sector sources have reiterated, which is estimated to represent between US $ 80 thousand to US $ 100,000 every day.
In the National Port System, EPQ, is the main enclosure for the movement of bulk loads, but again the crisis for the attention of the ships is presented Charters which are hired by the owners of the goods to make deliveries or loads.
Lemus Guzmán, pointed out that efforts are being made to enable other bulk discharge areas and reduce ships that are waiting, which are not medium and long term measures.
Another of the specific shares is to be able to speed up the ships with less than 24 hours of operation, the president of EPQ concluded.