ICTSI Honduras, Big Creek Terminals ink mutual benefit pact
Operadora Portuaria Centroamericana (OPC), the Honduran subsidiary of International Container Terminal Services, Inc., has signed a sister port agreement with the Port of Big Creek in Belize to strengthen relations and promote interconnectivity between the two Central American ports. The partnership benefits both ports and their respective areas of influence, according to ICTSI's release.
Since commencing operations in 2013, OPC has been continuously investing in Puerto Cortés – improving infrastructure, acquiring new equipment, and rolling out state-of-the-art port technology – with the aim of transforming the region’s trade and reducing the cost of goods for the end consumer. These investments, along with the modernization of Puerto Cortés, are expected to pay off as the agreement with the Port of Big Creek is seen to increase the flow of cargo through the terminal.
The Port of Big Creek, through a cabotage barge service by the Big Creek Group, is set to benefit from Puerto Cortés’ global connections with OPC handling more than 23 weekly services. The agreement also gives the Port of Big Creek the advantage of having a free zone in OPC’s yards for its import and export cargo in transit, which will boost Belize’s foreign trade.
Operated by the Big Creek Group, the Port of Big Creek is in the Stann Creek district south of Belize. The port is mainly used for the export of banana, sugar, citrus, shrimp, and oil, and is accessible by land, air, and sea. Its location and ability to handle large ships make it a strategic alternative for interconnection with Puerto Cortés.
ABOUT OPERADORA PORTUARIA CENTROAMERICANA
In February 2013, ICTSI, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Operadora Portuaria Centroamericana (OPC), won the international bid for the design, financing, construction, maintenance, operation, and exploration of Specialized Container and Cargo Terminal in the Republic of Honduras. An important port in Central America, OPC is the only port in the CA-4 region – comprised of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua- allowing containers loaded from the Honduran port to arrive at US ports already pre-checked and with a lower risk rate, resulting in greater speed for dispatch processes aside from reducing costs at destination.
ABOUT INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER TERMINAL SERVICES, INC.
Headquartered and established in 1988 in Manila, Philippines, International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) is in the business of port development, management and operations. As an independent business with no shipping, logistics or consignee-related interests, ICTSI works and transacts transparently with any stakeholder in the port community. ICTSI’s portfolio of terminals and projects spans developed and emerging market economies in the Asia Pacific, the Americas, and Europe, the Middle East and Africa. ICTSI has received global acclaim for its public-private partnerships with governments divesting of their port assets to the private sector.
