Above: the Freeport Container Port

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Bahamian port of Freeport led the Caribbean in container port throughput in 2012, according to a report from the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America.

Freeport saw 1,202,000 TEU in activity in 2012, followed by Kingston, which saw 1,139,418 TEU in activity. Freeport was ranked 11th in the Latin American and Caribbean region, which was led by Panama’s Colón.

TEUs are 20-foot equivalent units.

But Freeport and Caucedo were the only Caribbean ports to maintain positive results in their category (transshipments), compared to 2011. Kingston, for example, saw a 35.1 percent drop in activity.

The next largest port in terms of activity was the Dominican Republic’s port of Caucedo and 14th overall. No other Caribbean ports ranked within the top 20, according to the report.

Trinidad’s Port of Spain was ranked 31st in the region in terms of activity; Guadeloupe’s Jarry port ranked 42nd in the region, while Aruba’s Oranjestad ranked 51st.

Regionally, ECLAC said container throughput remained sluggish, something which “confirmed the slowdown in the region’s foreign trade over the past year.”

ECLAC compiled the ranking in conjunction with local port authorities.