Description of the Port

Puerto Cortés is the main Honduran port and one of the most important on the Atlantic slope of Central America, handling 86% of the total containers moved annually by the port (in 2013 the movement of 571,000 TEUS was reported, in 2014 it increased to 582,000, in 2015 it shot up to 628,000, in 2016 it rose to 634,000 and in 2017 it increased to 655,000 TEUS) and 77% in metric tons (MT) of general cargo,  special (such as bananas, coffee, melons, pineapples and other fruits for which it has adequate equipment to maintain the cold chain) and solid bulks in specialized and multipurpose docks. It has two active concessionaires: Operadora Portuaria Centroamericana (container and general cargo terminal) and Terminal Especializada de Honduras (solid bulk).

 

The port's productivity has risen from 19 movements per hour per vessel in 2014 to more than 50 in 2022. The acquisition of 2 Super Post Panamax gantry cranes has been contributing to improving the efficiency of Puerto Cortés. There have also been savings in truck service time, reducing from 63 minutes when the terminal was received to 40 minutes.

 

During 2022, shipments of ready-made clothing, bananas, coffee and prepared groceries stood out, and the main import products have been cotton yarn, varied merchandise, used vehicles and construction materials. It should be noted that the terminal has had the largest movement of cars in its history during 2022, exceeding 2,000 to date.  In the month of August 2022 alone, more than 1,200 were received and the trend is expected to continue to be positive.

 

Port website: https://www.enp.hn/ 

https://www.opc.hn/

You can also find information about key ports at: http://www.maritime-database.com

 

Port Location and Contact
Country	Honduras
Province or District	Cortes
Nearest Town or City with Distance from Port	Omoa 13.2 km
Full port name	Puerto Cortes
Latitude	15°48"00 North latitude
Longitude	87°57"00 West longitude
Management Company or Port Authority	Port Authority: National Port Company Solid Bulk Terminal: Grupo LOGRA, TEH (Specialized Terminals of Honduras), AVANZA General Cargo and Containers: ICTS (International Container Terminal Services, Inc) through OPC (Operadora Portuaria Centroamericana)
Management Level Contact Person	Jose Manuel Mencia jose.mencia@enp.hn
Nearest airports with frequent international arrivals/departures	Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport (Avianca, Aero Mexico, American Airlines, Air Europa, Copa Airlines, Delta, Spirit, United Airlines, Volaris)

 

Photos of the Port

 

Description and contacts of the main companies

 

Port performance

Seasonal limitations
	Yes/No	Period
Rainy season	Yes	From August to November
High import season	Yes	From January to May (Bulk cargo) From January to December (Containerized and general cargo)
Other Comments	June to November is hurricane season; The most critical time begins in September.

 

Traffic figures for 2022
Ship calls	1,564
Container traffic (TEUs)	768,811 (Current capacity: 1,400,000 TEUs)

 

Liquid, solid and general load figures 2022
Liquid cargo (TM)	2,280,000
Solid Load (TM)	3,100,000
General Cargo (TM)	1,400,000

 

Handling type	Total, landing (thousands of mt)	Total, shipment (thousands of mt)	Total (thousands of mt)
General Cargo	707.07	15.30	722.37
Contenerizada	2,647.77	2,007.63	4,655.41
Liquid Bulk	2,256.21	174.69	2,430.90
Solid Bulk	2,897.32	1,439.09	4,336.41
Other	76.48	204.73	281.20
Ro-Ro	10.79	0	10.79
			12,437.09

Unloading fees and terminal cargo handling charges

For more information on port fees and charges, please consult the following link: https://www.opc.hn/lib/PDF/Tarifario-OPC-01-enero-2023%20NM.pdf

 

Spring Specification

Type of Spring	Quantity	Long (m)	Maximum depth (m)	Feedback
Liquid spring	2	126 72	14 12	Texaco: Petrolium Liquid and some petrolium
Container dock	3	355 124 350	12 12 14.5	Container Cargo and ro-ro
Bulk dock	2	201 323	12 12	Dry bulk and convencional cargo Dry bulk and ro-ro
Tugs	5			3 Tug boats 2000 HP (OPC) 2 (are out of service)
Barges	0			It is not currently counted in the port.

 

Docks for handling general cargo

Type of cargo	Dock identification
Imports – Packed cargo	Pier 4, 5A, 5B and 6
Exports - Packed cargo	Pier 4, 5A, 5B and 6
Imports and Exports - RoRo	Pier 4, 5A, 5B and 6
Other Imports	Pier 1 and 1A (Liquid and some petrolium) Pier 2 and 3 (Bulk)

 

Port Management Equipment

Team	Available	Total quantity and available capacity	Feedback on current status and actual usage
Quay crane	Yes	6	-Rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs) -Mobile harbor cranes (MHCs)
Container crane	Yes	6 (60 MT)	-Ship-to-shore cranes (STSs)
Mobile cranes	Yes	4
Forklift for containers (Reachstacker)	Yes	19
Tractors for RoRo (Tugmaster / with head)	Yes	4	Roll MAFI Trailers 50-100 TN
Grain elevator with packing machines	No
Transtainer	No
Forklift	Yes	26	6 (2 TM/5,000 lbs) 4 (Electric 2.5 TM) 1 (2.7 MT) 6 (3.6 MT/8,000 lbs) 4 (7 MT/15,000 lbs)

 

Container handling facilities

 

Facilities	20ft/40ft
Availability for container handling	Yes
Container Handling Station (CFS)	Yes
Station for refrigerated containers	Yes
Other details about facilities	Specific area for crossdocking operations.
Daily load capacity (Containers per Day)	5 vessels in line
Number of stations for refrigerated containers (Connection points)	1
Load capacity in Emergency	NA
Load capacity of crews per shift (Containers per Shift)	NA

Customs Guide

Customs clearance procedures at the Port of Puerto Cortés in Honduras are overseen by the Honduran Customs Administration, also known as the Dirección Adjunta de Rentas Aduanas. Below you will find a general guide on customs clearance procedures for imports and exports at the port:          

1. Obtain the necessary permits and licenses: Before you can import or export goods from Honduras, it may be necessary to obtain permits and licenses from various government agencies, depending on the type of goods being shipped. These may include the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of the Environment, among others.
2. Submit import/export documentation: Once all necessary permits and licenses have been obtained, the importer or exporter must submit all required import/export documentation to the SAR. This documentation includes the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and other relevant documents.     
3. Pay customs duties and taxes: The importer or exporter is responsible for paying all customs duties and taxes associated with the shipment. These fees may include import duties, value-added tax (VAT), excise duties and other fees.       
4. Cargo Inspection: SAR can inspect cargo to ensure compliance with all import/export regulations and to verify the accuracy of the documentation submitted.           
5. Cargo Release: Once all necessary customs duties and taxes have been paid and the cargo has been inspected, SAR will issue a release order allowing the cargo to be cleared for entry into or exit from the port. It is important to note that customs clearance procedures can be complex and may vary depending on the specific nature of the goods being imported or exported. Importers and exporters are advised to work with a licensed customs broker or freight forwarder to ensure compliance with all regulations and facilitate a smooth customs clearance process.

 

For more information on customs in Honduras, please refer to the following link: 1.3 Customs Information.   

Terminal Information

Multipurpose Terminal

Also named Berth 4; is used to perform general cargo operations; and is located next to the port's largest warehouse, cargo is usually moved with the vessel's equipment, this terminal can also be used to carry out bulk operations, when available.

https://comercioexterior.la/puertos-maritimos/honduras/puerto-cortes/

 

Grain Handling and Bulk Cargo

The Specialized Terminal of Honduras (TEH), is intended only for bulk handling; and within its facilities it has 5 silos with a capacity of 8,000 tons each; and are located near pier 3b, in the same way, the silos are connected to a berth by 2 conveyor belts, when the cargo ships arrive at this terminal, the merchandise is unloaded with; handholds, channels, mobile cranes or with the ship's equipment, whichever is considered to be faster operationally; The load is then placed on the conveyor belts and/or directly on the trucks.

 

PRIMARY STORAGE TERMINAL

Type of Storage	Number of installations	Area (m2)
Packed cargo
Refrigerated cargo	1	4,135.23 Mts² 4200 MT
General Cargo	2	7,150.98 mts² 5,109.75 mts²

Stevedores

It corresponds to the OPC to provide the services of unloading and / or loading of any type of cargo only of international transport, as well as the use of the infrastructure and port equipment required of the port terminal, including, for loading in containers:

(a) the loading/unloading service, including stowage/unloading;

(b) the lashing/unlocking service of containers on the ship;

(c) the transfer service between the side of the ship and the storage area;

d) the dispatch/reception service – in the storage area, yard and vessel; among others.

Information on territorial catchment area (Hinterland)

 

Honduras has 9 logistics corridors, the Logistics Corridor, the Central Corridor, the Dry Canal, the Agricultural Corridor, the Tourist Corridor, the Eastern Highway, the Lenca Corridor and the Western Corridor, which connect and facilitate the transport of merchandise through the national territory, and the Central American region.

The main road connections are through the CA-5 route, which crosses the Honduran territory in a north-south direction and connects the main centers of production and consumption of the country (Puerto Cortés-San Pedro Sula-Tegucigalpa and the extreme south), and the CA-1 route, second route in importance and Pan-American connection (Pacific Corridor) with El Salvador and Nicaragua.

The largest is the Logistics Corridor, has a length of 391 km and connects the ports of Amapala and Henecán in the Pacific with Puerto Cortés in the Atlantic, and is fundamental for Central America in the transport of goods, mainly destined for the East Coast of the United States.

The Logistics, Dry Canal, Agricultural, Lenca, Western and Pacific corridors strategically cross the national territory and total a length of 1,182 kilometers.

These connections with the world, through maritime port, airport, and land infrastructure, added to the coordinated management of borders and urban logistics, and the promotion of an offer of logistics services, will position Honduras as a world-class logistics HUB by 2030.

 

Port Security

Within this advance in modernization and development, the OPC company has turned the issue of security into one of its main pillars in its management, managing to transform Puerto Cortés into one of the safest ports in the region.

It is identified as the only terminal in the region that has the Container Security Initiative (CSI), granted by the US Customs and Border Protection (CNP)

This initiative allows containers destined for the United States to arrive pre-released by the authority, which implies a lower risk to the Customs Service of that country, and, therefore, lower costs for cargo at destination, translated into greater security and competitiveness for exporters who use the Puerto Cortés terminal.

 

Safety
ISPS Compliant	Yes
Current ISPS level (Level 1 = Normal, Level 2 = Heightened, Level 3 = Exceptional)	1
Police boats	Yes
Fire trucks	Yes

 

Port Overview 

Located in the bordering areas of the Gulf of Honduras, the Port of La Ceiba stands out mainly for the enormous variety of agricultural products it receives. 

The small Port of La Ceiba serves small shallow draft coastal vessels that trade with the Bay Islands (Roatan) and La Mosquitia. The ships enter without pilot assistance through a channel of min. 4.2 m deep. Currently the entire warehouse space is used. 

Tourism is another main source of income for this port city. Apart from the commercial activity that flows through this port, there is also a maritime service between this city and Roatan that docks at the cabotage dock of these facilities. It has several services such as loading and unloading, storage warehouses, berth and a wide access channel. It has a wide area for possible future expansion of 8,800 m². 

You can also find information about key ports at: http://www.maritime-database.com 

Port Location and Contact
Country	Honduras
Province or District	Atlantida
Nearest Town or City with Distance from Port	La Ceiba   5.2 km
Full port name	Port of La Ceiba
Latitude	15.79250°
Longitude	-86.76194°
Management Company or Port Authority	National Port Company
Management Level Contact Person	Hector Knight
Nearest airports with frequent international arrivals/departures	Goloson International Airport  (Air Transat, Cayman Airways, Sunwing Airlines, Aerolineas Sosa)

Port Performance 

Seasonal limitations
	Yes/No	Period
Rainy season	Yes	From May to November
High import season	N/A
Other Comments	June to November is hurricane season; The most critical time begins in September.

 

Bulk cargo and loose cargo figures 2021
Bulk (mt)	N/A
Loose charge (mt)	800

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges 

For more information on port fees and charges, please consult the following link: https://www.opc.hn/lib/PDF/Tarifario-OPC-01-enero-2023%20NM.pdf 

Berthing Specifications 

Type of Berth	Quantity	Length   (m)	Maximum Draft (m)	Comments
Conventional spring		225	3.5	With dredging project it is expected to reach 5 meters deep

 

Port Overview

Located on the north coast of Honduras, the Port of Puerto Castilla was originally established as a shipping location for United Fruit Company. However, currently the port is mainly used as a container terminal for fruit produced by Dole Food Company. A naval base is also located in this small port town. 

You can also find information about key ports at: http://www.maritime-database.com 

Port Location and Contact
Country	Honduras
Province or District	Colon
Nearest Town or City with Distance from Port	Trujillo  19 km
Full port name	Puerto Castilla
Latitude	15.89083º
Longitude	-86.01444º
Management Company or Port Authority	National Port Company
Management Level Contact Person	N/A
Nearest airports with frequent international arrivals/departures	Juan Manuel Galvez

Port Performance 

The port has a cargo capacity of around 104 TEUs and the main export products are fruits, palm oil and bananas. It handles 576 tons of cargo and around 68 container ships a year. The port is close to African palm oil plantations and could soon become the main oil export port.  

Seasonal limitations
	Yes/No	Period
Rainy season	Yes	From May to November
High import season	N/A

 

Traffic figures for 2021
Ship calls	154
Container traffic (TEUs)	102,246

 

Bulk cargo and loose cargo figures 2021
Bulk (mt)	347,439
Loose charge (mt)	727,186

 

Handling type	Total landing (thousands of mt)	Total shipment (thousands of mt)	Total
General Cargo	4.55	0	4.55
Container	191.76	471.82	663.58
Liquid Bulk	6.85	340.59	347.44
Solid Bulk	0	0	0
Other	56.80	2.27	59.06
Ro-Ro	0	0	0
Total			1,074.63

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges 

For more information on port fees and charges, please consult the following link: https://www.opc.hn/lib/PDF/Tarifario-OPC-01-enero-2023%20NM.pdf 

Berthing Specifications 

Type of Berth	Quantity	Length  (m)		Maximum Draft (m)	Comments
Conventional Berth	1	225		12
Container dock	N/A
Bulk dock	N/A
Berthing Tugs					There are no tugboats, so ships must use their own equipment to load and unload tanks and containers.
Water Barges	N/A

Port Handling Equipment 

Equipment	Available	Total Quantity and Capacity Available	Comments on Current Condition and Actual Usage
Quay crane	No
Container crane	No
Mobile cranes	No
Forklift for containers (Reachstacker)	Yes
Tractors for RoRo (Tugmaster / with head)	N/A
Grain elevator with packing machines	N/A
Transtainer	N/A
Freight elevator	N/A

Terminal Information 

MAIN STORAGE TERMINAL 

The Port has 2 warehouses with open sides of 3,000 m² each and provides services to bulk carriers, crackers, conventional and container ships. For storage it offers 6 tanks with a capacity of 42,000 gallons. 

Port Overview 

The Port of San Lorenzo is located in the southern part of Honduras, in a region close to the coastal areas of the Gulf of Fonseca. One of the main characteristics of this port is that it is a benchmark in terms of shrimp, all kinds of dairy products and also vegetable oils. The different products that arrive at the seaports of Honduras such as the Port of San Lorenzo greatly facilitate the use of this material by local industries.  

The services offered at the port are tugboat, that normally accompanies the ship approximately half a mile from the dock and is mandatory; services for the vessels such as port rights, navigation aid, berthing, unberthing, mooring, practice, water service, fuel, security. Cargo services are stowage, unloading, hauling, transfer, receiving and storage. 

Port website: www.enp.hn 

You can also find information about key ports at: http://www.maritime-database.com 

Port Location and Contact
Country	Honduras
Province or District	Valle
Nearest Town or City with Distance from Port	San Lorenzo  17.9 km
Full port name	Port of San Lorenzo or Port of Henecán
Latitude	13.40000°
Longitude	-87.42500°
Management Company or Port Authority	National Port Company
Management Level Contact Person	Edwing Bertin Canales  Edwing.canales@enp.hn
Nearest airports with frequent international arrivals/departures	Palmerola International Airport (XPL)  United, American Airlines, Copa. Avianca, Spirit Airlines, KLM. Air France, CM Airlines.

Port Picture

Description and Contacts of Key Companies 

National port company, has focused on the recovery process trying to achieve optimal levels in the provision of services, by strengthening its productive capacity, formulating projects that contribute to improving the competitiveness of the economy, being the link in the logistics chain of international maritime trade in the country. 

For more information on port contacts, please refer to the following link: Headquarters staff will enter a link here to section 4.4 Contact list of port and river companies. 

Port performance 

The port exceeds more than 1.05 million tons per year. Among these products, some stand out, such as pitch pine, which has traditionally become one of the most exported products of the Honduran industry. 

Traffic figures for 2021
Ship calls	188
Container traffic (TEUs)	25,414

 

Bulk cargo and loose cargo figures 2021
Bulk (mt)	612,300
Loose charge (mt)	744,530

 

Handling type	Total landing (thousands of mt)	Total shipment (thousands of mt)	Total
General Cargo	553.64	0	553.64
Container	100.13	33.51	133.64
Liquid Bulk	497.80	61.67	559.48
Solid Bulk	29.22	23.60	52.82
Other	2.92	20.89	23.81
Ro-Ro	33.46	0	33.46
Total			1,356.83

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges 

For more information on port fees and charges, please consult the following link: https://www.opc.hn/lib/PDF/Tarifario-OPC-01-enero-2023%20NM.pdf 

Berthing Specifications 

Type of Berth	Quantity	Length   (m)	Maximum draft (m)	Comments
Conventional Berth	1	300	10	Pier in a "T" shape 40 and 25 meters wide with an access bridge 160 meters long and 15 meters wide.
Container Berth	1	300	10
Silo Berth	1	300	10
Berthing Tugs	1
Water Barges	N/A

General Cargo Handling Berths 

In Port of San Lorenzo the loads are handled mechanically. The availability and use of docks may vary depending on port operators and the needs of the trade at the specific time. It is recommended to contact port authorities or operators directly for information on available docks and cargo handling services for imports and cargo packed at the port.

Type of cargo	Dock identification
Imports – Packed cargo	Pier A and B
Exports - Packed cargo	Pier A and B
Imports and Exports - RoRo	Pier A and B
Other Imports

Port Handling Equipment 

The management of port equipment in Port of San Lorenzo is essential to ensure the efficiency and safety of port operations. Port handling equipment includes forklifts and other equipment that is used to load and unload ships, move containers and other equipment around the port. Effective management of this equipment is essential to ensure that port operations are carried out safely and efficiently. 

Equipment	Available	Total Quantity and Capacity Available	Comments on Current Condition and Actual Usage
Dockside Crane	No
Container Gantries	No
Mobile Cranes	No
Reachstacker	Yes	1	Kilter
RoRo Tugmaster (with Trailer)	Yes	4	Good condition, regular use
Grain Elevator with Bagging Machines	No
Transtainer	No
Freight elevator	Yes	1	Kilter

Container Facilities 

The Port of San Lorenzo has lost competitiveness in recent years. At present the loading and unloading of containers can only be carried out with the cranes of the ships.

 

Facilities	20 ft/ 40 ft
Availability for container handling	Yes
Container Handling Station (CFS)	Yes
Station for refrigerated containers	Yes
Other details about facilities	N/A
Daily load capacity  (Containers per Day)	120
Number of stations for refrigerated containers  (Connection points)	2
Load capacity in Emergency	N/A
Load capacity of crews per shift  (Containers per Shift)	12 people/ 120 Containers

Customs Guidance

Customs clearance procedures at the Port of San Lorenzo in Honduras are overseen by the Honduran Customs Administration, also known as the Dirección Adjunta de Rentas Aduanas. Below you will find a general guide on customs clearance procedures for imports and exports at the port:  

1. Obtain the necessary permits and licenses: Before you can import or export goods from Honduras, it may be necessary to obtain permits and licenses from various government agencies, depending on the type of goods being shipped. These may include the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of the Environment, among others. 

2. Submit import/export documentation: Once all necessary permits and licenses have been obtained, the importer or exporter must submit all required import/export documentation to the SAR. This documentation includes the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and other relevant documents.  

3. Pay customs duties and taxes: The importer or exporter is responsible for paying all customs duties and taxes associated with the shipment. These fees may include import duties, value-added tax (VAT), excise duties and other fees.  

4. Cargo Inspection: SAR can inspect cargo to ensure compliance with all import/export regulations and to verify the accuracy of the documentation submitted.  

5. Cargo Release: Once all necessary customs duties and taxes have been paid and the cargo has been inspected, SAR will issue a release order allowing the cargo to be cleared for entry into or exit from the port. It is important to note that customs clearance procedures can be complex and may vary depending on the specific nature of the goods being imported or exported. Importers and exporters are advised to work with a licensed customs broker or freight forwarder to ensure compliance with all regulations and facilitate a smooth customs clearance process. 

For more information about customs in Honduras, see the following link: https://www.aduanas.gob.hn/  

Terminal Information

GRAIN AND BULK HANDLING 

Ship rigging is used when loading or unloading goods to/from the ship, including containers. The ENP has one or two terminal tractors and a front loader in the yard for handling containerized cargo. Here the ENP is the monopoly in the cargo handling operation. There is no private participation in the ground cargo handling involvement. 

MAIN STORAGE TERMINAL 

The port has four warehouses for a total storage of 8,500 m² and a molasses tank with a capacity of 1,060,000 gallons. The uncovered areas amount to 46,000 m² to store machinery and equipment. 

Storage Type	Number of Storage Facilities	Area (m2)
Packed cargo	N/A
Refrigerated cargo	50
General Cargo	N/A

Port Security 

Current protection measures include surveillance and monitoring systems through security cameras, access controls for staff and visitors, and security protocols for the handling of dangerous goods. Likewise, the port has security personnel trained to respond quickly to emergency situations and safeguard the integrity of the facilities. 

Safety
ISPS Compliant	Yes
Current ISPS level  (Level 1 = Normal, Level 2 = Heightened, Level 3 = Exceptional)	1
Police boats	Yes
Fire trucks	No