The prospect of Maersk Line Colombia is to increase the volume of cargo that it moves in the country and abroad by 15 to 20% this year; much of that growth in the operation involves transporting fruit in their refrigerated containers.
This figure is a good sign after the company had a modest 2015 due to the effects that the devaluation of the peso against the dollar had on the national economy.
Maersk Line is the shipping company of the Maersk Dutch group and it has positioned itself as a major player in the container logistics in Colombia. It controls 20% of the Colombian container logistics market.
The first experiment of the company's new project meant a change for packing banana in Uraba and Magdalena, which has generally been shipped abroad in traditional boats and is now being shipped in gigantic structures through the adoption of a technology which allows controlling temperature automatically.
Currently they are shipping between 550 and 600 containers of fruit per week, i.e. 25 to 30% of the exportable bananas in the areas previously mentioned.
"Before, there was only one destination -the distribution centers and ripening plants in northern Europe or in the United States. Since we started using containers in this industry we have managed to reach more distant destinations," said the sales manager of Maersk Line Colombia, Juan Camilo Vasquez.
More time
Previously, bananas could only be shipped for a maximum of 15 days before they matured. Now, they can be in transit for 30 or 40 days, allowing banana exporters to expand their markets to Japan, Russia, and even Turkey. Another advantage is that this shipping method is cheaper and environmentally friendly.
A ship loads 350 to 400 containers in Turbo on Thursday and then proceeds to Santa Marta for the rest of the load.
"At this time, the boat is sufficient, but there's always the possibility of using larger ships or having higher frequencies," said Vasquez.
The same transport format is also being tested for Hass avocado, a crop that is rapidly spreading in eastern Antioquia. The company exported between 450 and 500 containers of Hass avocado in the first harvest of the year, i.e. from January to March.
The company is also starting to export pineapple from the Valle del Cauca to Central America and it is taking the first steps to export mangoes, something that wouldn't be possible without the aid of refrigerated containers, as the cold chain is essential to avoid the products from being damaged.
This refrigerated containers now represents 30 percent of the 100,000 containers Maersk mobilizes in the country every year.
"We maintain our leadership position in the market, not only in refrigerated cargo, but also in the transport of other items that invigorate the economy, such as coffee and the automotive sector," added the manager.
2016 is a promising year
Last year, Maersk had a slight decrease in its local operation caused by the adjustment of the exchange rate that affected imports, while exports didn't rebound. However, according to Vasquez, prospects for 2016 are more promising, though not optimistic, because of new business and the reduction in the fluctuation of the currency, which should increase the volumes traded abroad.
The company's goal is to bill $200 million dollars, achieving a growth of between 3 and 4%, which is somewhat modest due to the bad moment freight is undergoing in the international context.
"In recent years we have seen freight, mainly of Asian imports to Buenaventura, decreasing from 3 to 4 thousand dollars per container to less than 200 dollars, although with a tendency to stabilize in the future," said Vasquez.
"We still are a very solid company and we are prepared for the difficult times in the sector. Proof of that is our balance," said Vasquez.
Notable progress in the country's infrastructure
According to Juan Camilo Vásquez, commercial manager of Maersk Line, approximately 20% of the country's exports are made in containers, a high amount considering that the country's main export products are coal and oil.
70 to 80% of the imports come in containers.
It is a modality that has had a great development in Colombia in recent years. In 2010 there was only one container terminal in Buenaventura, now there are two and the third one, which will begin operations in October this year, is under construction. There's another one in Santa Marta, two in Barranquilla, and there is a potential to build a third one there. Cartagena has three. Turbo is also planning to build one to load and unload containers.
Additionally, other ports have improved their infrastructure and upgraded their equipment, which has allowed larger ships to arrive to the country and a reduction in the time they are loaded and unloaded.
