Sieca points out that El Salvador mobilized 256,046 TEUs during 2023, with a growth of 5.7 %.
1.7 percent of the port cargo that was mobilized in Central America and the Dominican Republic passed through El Salvador, confirmed a report released by the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (Sieca).
The document notes that, between January and December 2023, the region mobilized 15.1 million TEUs, a measure equivalent to a container of 6.25 meters, a growth of 6.5 per cent compared to 15.1 million TEUs recorded during the same period of 2022.
The document does not detail whether it is only merchandise that was imported, exported or transited through the countries of the region.
According to Sieca, of the total number of vans and containers mobilized, only 256,046 TEUs passed through the Port of Acajutla, Sonsonate, 1.7 percent of the total.
El Salvador, together with Nicaragua, were the countries that occupied the least prominence in the mobilization of merchandise, the latter a menas moved 155,815 TEUs, 1 percent of what was held in the region.
Panama led the movement of containers and vans, with a participation of 54.8 percent, the document said.
The highest proportion of the cargo mobilized by Panama was recorded in the ports of Cristobal, Colón and Manzanillo.
Secondly, the Dominican Republic, after registering 13.9 per cent of the regional load and Guatemala, with 11.6 per cent.
For its part, three ports in Costa Rica were awarded 10.9 per cent of the TEUs and Honduras by 6 %.
Pujan growth
The vans and containers moved in the Port of Acajutla increased by 5.7 % between 2022 and 2023, from 242,307 TEUs to 256,046 TEUs.
El Salvador achieved the second largest growth compared to the rest of the region.
The work carried out in Acajutla was surpassed only by Guatemalan ports, which mobilized 6.5 % more cargo in the last year, adding 1.7 million TEUs.
Below El Salvador is Costa Rica, with a growth of 4 percent of the port cargo moved, while the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua grew by 1.6 percent.
The Export Corporation of El Salvador (Coexport) has confirmed in 2024 that the increase in demand for trade has saturated the Port of Acajutla, a situation that already causes delays in the merchandise of up toOne month.
According to Sieca, during 2023 the region landed 133.4 million metric tons, a figure that increased by 2 percent. Of this portion, 5 % landed in El Salvador, after an increase of 7.2 percent.
Despite having two active ports, Acajutla remains saturated while the Port of La Unión has only mobilized8,692.67 metric tons during 2024.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of El Salvador (Cammarasal) recalled last week that the congestionis not exclusive to El Salvadoras the Mexican ports and those of other countries in the region are in the same situation.
This article has been translated after first appearing in Diario El Mundo