10 Major Ports of Haiti

The Republic of Haiti, earlier referred to as Hayti, is a nation on the Hispaniola Island within the Carribean Sea’s Greater Antilles Archipelago which lies near Cuba, Jamaica, Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Haiti has every thing that may entice vacationers, reminiscent of white sandy seashores, lovely landscapes, and a pleasing local weather, but its tourism sector suffers on account of corruption and political instability.

Haiti is the world’s main producer of vetiver, which is a root plant and the primary ingredient of perfumes, fragrances and important oils. It has a developed agricultural sector, too.

Given its place, it has a number of ports, however most function beneath their optimum capability and want restore and upkeep. However, the federal government can solely perform a little because it lacks funds. Unemployment is excessive in Haiti, and lots of, particularly the younger, migrate, if they’ll, in quest of higher alternatives elsewhere.

Let us have a look at the ten main Ports of Haiti on this article.

Port of Port-au-Prince

Port-au-Prince is the primary seaport and the business hub of Haiti. It is positioned on the Gulf of Gonave, sheltered from the open sea waters and winds by La Gonave Island. The metropolis and the port infrastructure suffered huge injury throughout the 2010 earthquake.

The container wharf practically drowned, and an enormous a part of the southern pier was broken within the disaster, although important repairs have been carried out.

Today, the port has services for dealing with RORO, containers, cruise ships and dry bulk carriers. However, previously few years, the port has emphasised rising the amount of passengers and cargo on the fundamental facility. There was a finger pier utilized by the cruise ships; nonetheless, it was destroyed by Hurricane George.

Varreux, the tanker terminal receives emergency repairs to pipelines, tanks, and jetty to permit the resumption of imports earlier than the prior provides of diesel, propane, gasoline and gasoline oil run out.

Major exports embody fruits, espresso, and sugar, and imports comprise constructing supplies, grains, soya, meals, manufactured objects, petroleum and oil. Approximately 800 ships, 2,780,000 tonnes of cargo, and 86,000 TEUs are dealt with right here yearly.

Storage areas embody a 40-hectare container yard and 400 reefer factors. The warehouses span 1850 m2 and will probably be expanded to 19,000 m2 by the tip of subsequent 12 months. Private silos owned by Caribbean grain firm are used just for storing rice.

The metropolis of Port-au-Prince has a wealthy historical past and was integrated beneath French colonial rule in 1749. It was a bustling place, designed like an amphitheatre with business areas close to the waterfront.

Today, it’s Haiti’s principal financial and monetary hub. It additionally has a number of food-processing vegetation and cleaning soap, cement and textile factories. Due to political unrest, the town’s tourism trade has declined; nonetheless, the federal government is attempting to draw travellers by taking the required steps.

Port of Cap Haitien

Lying on the northern shores of Haiti, the port of Cap Haitien primarily handles common cargo ships, cruise ships and inter-island vessels. Primary exports are fruits and low, whereas imports embody uncooked supplies and second-hand items. Around 450 ships and 88,430 tonnes of cargo are dealt with right here yearly.

It is the second busiest port in Haiti, given its place near the Dominican Republic, making it a most well-liked entry level into Haiti. However, the poor situation of roads means it’s not properly linked to the remainder of the nation.

The port has two fundamental quays located at proper angles to one another. Both have fenders and bollards alongside their lengths. The first one is for big cargo ships. The cement aprons are in viable situation and are broad sufficient for direct unloading onto the vans.

Cap Terminal operates the container yard, owns port tools, primarily cranes, and gives stevedoring providers. The container yard has a capability of 2000 TEU and has 20 plugs for reefers. There are non-public warehouses, too, for conserving rice and cement and a parking space for imported automobiles.

The RORO berth between Quay 2 and the cabotage berth is properly constructed. Also, a dry port managed by Cap Terminal is beneath development, simply ten kilometres from the port, with a capability of 3000 TEUs as soon as accomplished.

The port receives three container ships weekly and two bulk carriers month-to-month. It additionally receives worldwide shipments carrying second-hand items from the Turks and Caicos and Florida.

Port of Jacmel

This is a small lightering port on the southern coast of Haiti. It is sheltered by a fringing reef to the southeast, is uncovered, and sees heavy swell generally. A pilot is there to information the ships, however the strategy to the port may appear difficult to vessels with a shallow draft.

The port covers 1700 sq. metres and is nearest to the Dominican Republic. The port has a business cargo wharf accommodating sea-going ships because it has good fenders and bollards. The previous jetty’s wood planks are in poor situation and unfit to be used.

It doesn’t deal with massive cargo volumes; solely bulk carriers with cranes unload cement right here.

Stern Ramp RORO ships generally discharge second-hand automobiles at this port, though there isn’t a particular RORO berth right here, and a small vessel would possibly face difficulties because of the fundamental berth’s peak.

A cement ramp north of the primary pier is utilised by native craft solely since it’s too shallow for RORO operations.

Though the port doesn’t have a lot to supply, it has nice potential given its location, which makes the southern areas of the islands readily accessible throughout emergencies.

The port has no cargo dealing with tools and no stevedore firm, although forklifts could be sourced regionally. Ships right here should self-discharge, and the pier can deal with heavy vans.

There isn’t any coated cupboard space both, and cargo needs to be shifted from the port premises shortly after it arrives. There aren’t any massive parking areas or transportation firms; nonetheless, vans could be employed from the city or Port au Prince.

Port of Lafito

Lafito is a privately owned worldwide container terminal masking 13 hectares. It is the one Panamax Port in Haiti and is owned by the GB Group, which additionally owns the close by Industrial Free Zone, though it has but to change into operational. It additionally owns the dry port in Port-au-Prince.

Lafito Port was opened in 2015, and its tools and infrastructure are in good situation, though the port itself is uncovered because of the absence of a breakwater.

The port is oriented within the northwest-southeast path and has a 450 m lengthy berth, which extends to 500 m with the mooring dolphins. Though it’s primarily a container dealing with facility, cement is dealt with on the northern a part of the port, and ships are loaded with cement right here.

The port has a container yard the place containers are saved in numerous areas after being differentiated as empty, full and containing harmful items. The yard additionally has 30 reefer factors.

Port of Saint-Marc

Earlier, a daily port of name for RORO ships from Miami, Saint-Marc, is now a cabbage port; nonetheless, customs can be found, and imports like cement arrive right here.

Vessel calls aren’t common, and there’s no port schedule. Port buildings are advantageous; nonetheless, the wharf wants upkeep because the space is small and may expertise congestion. The port can also be uncovered, and witnesses swell sometimes.

The pier is oriented north-south and is 60 m lengthy with a single bollard. Its wall is damaged, and there aren’t any fenders. It is utilized by RORO vessels.

The warehouse is small but usable. The port has no parking areas, and the equipment is derelict.

Port of Les Cayes

Les Cayes is an import facility coping with cement from the Dominican Republic. It receives vessels as soon as a month.

Ships anchor offshore and discharge into small native boats with outboard motors. Entering the port could be hazardous because of the reef formations close to its entrance channel.

There are two piers to the east, and the primary one can accommodate shallow draft vessels and vacationer boats, whereas the second belongs to the Coast Guard and suffered some injury within the 2021 earthquake.

Port of Jeremie

This cabotage port doesn’t adjust to ISPS and is especially a facility receiving imports of cement and rice, with vessel calls round each 15 days. It just isn’t sheltered and uncovered in the direction of the east.

It has only one pier oriented to the east, measuring about 100 m; nonetheless, solely 40 m of it may be used since part of it was broken by Hurricane Matthew. The southern a part of the pier is probably the most used and has fenders together with two bollards on both aspect.

The port doesn’t have any dealing with tools or a proper stevedoring firm. The Port Director organises stevedores if given a discover some days earlier than the arrival of the vessel.

The port has a warehouse which could be rented. There is a hardstand space for vans spanning 800 m2.

Ports of Gonaives

Gonaives Port and Sedren/Terminal Gonaives are managed by APN, however the latter is privately owned. The Port of Gonaives wants upkeep, whereas the Sedren/Terminal Gonaives is well-developed and was constructed to export the bauxite mined on this area.

The Port of Gonaives is small, with no storage areas. There are a number of wrecks, making the strategy harmful. The port is unsuitable for large ships however is utilized by small coastal merchants, cargo boats and fishing boats.

Port of Carries

The Port of Carries is close to the primary highway connecting Port-au-Prince and Carries. This facility serves La Gonave Island, and ferries and native wood vessels are frequent guests to the port. This facility doesn’t see worldwide maritime site visitors.

The fundamental wharf features as a ferry terminal and is constructed on piles. Hence, it has a weight restrict that should be saved in thoughts. The port has no shore-based cargo dealing with tools, and loading and unloading operations are finished utilizing guide energy. There aren’t any storage areas throughout the port premises.

Port of Terminal Abraham

This is a non-public facility owned by the Khawly household. It is especially used for dealing with bulk like grain and cement, which represent the first import objects. Wheat is turned to flour and bagged on the positioning, whereas animal fodder can also be packed right here. There is a RORO berth for coastal transporters.

A finger pier extends north-northwest from the shore and is uncovered to westerly winds. It is in usable situation and receives cargo barges carrying heavy fuels on its shoreward aspect. At the identical time, bulk carriers dock on its seaward aspect, unloading into vans which then discharge cargo into conveyors and hoppers to switch the grain to the silos.

Several enterprises function on this port, reminiscent of Cereal d ’Haiti, which shops and processes wheat into flour and SHAB, which mixes and packages animal feed. The port has two weighbridges and a big workforce. There are two warehouses which might retailer cement.

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Disclaimer: The authors’ views expressed on this article don’t essentially replicate the views of Marine-Salvage. Data and charts, if used, within the article have been sourced from accessible info and haven’t been authenticated by any statutory authority. The writer and Marine-Salvage don’t declare it to be correct nor settle for any accountability for a similar. The views represent solely the opinions and don’t represent any pointers or suggestions on any plan of action to be adopted by the reader.

The article or photos can’t be reproduced, copied, shared, or utilized in any type with out the permission of the writer and Marine-Salvage.

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About Author

Zahra is an alumna of Miranda House, University of Delhi. She is an avid author, possessing immaculate analysis and modifying expertise. Author of a number of tutorial papers, she has additionally labored as a contract author, producing many technical, inventive and advertising and marketing items. A real aesthete at coronary heart, she loves books a little bit greater than anything.

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