10 Main Ports of Haiti

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

Haiti has every part that may entice vacationers, similar to 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 wish restore and upkeep. Nonetheless, the federal government can solely do some because it lacks funds. Unemployment is excessive in Haiti, and plenty of, particularly the younger, migrate, if they’ll, searching for higher alternatives elsewhere.

Allow us to 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’s positioned on the Gulf of Gonave, sheltered from the open sea waters and winds by La Gonave Island. Town and the port infrastructure suffered huge harm through 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 had been carried out.

As we speak, the port has amenities for dealing with RORO, containers, cruise ships and dry bulk carriers. Nonetheless, prior to now few years, the port has emphasised growing the quantity of passengers and cargo on the essential 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.

Main exports embody fruits, espresso, and sugar, and imports comprise constructing supplies, grains, soya, meals, manufactured objects, petroleum and oil. Roughly 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 might be expanded to 19,000 m2 by the top of subsequent yr. Non-public silos owned by Caribbean grain firm are used just for storing rice.

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

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

Port of Cap Haitien

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

It’s the second busiest port in Haiti, given its place near the Dominican Republic, making it a most popular entry level into Haiti. Nonetheless, the poor situation of roads means it isn’t effectively linked to the remainder of the nation.

The port has two essential quays located at proper angles to one another. Each have fenders and bollards alongside their lengths. The primary 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 gear, primarily cranes, and offers stevedoring providers. The container yard has a capability of 2000 TEU and has 20 plugs for reefers. There are non-public warehouses, too, for protecting rice and cement and a parking space for imported autos.

The RORO berth between Quay 2 and the cabotage berth is effectively constructed. Additionally, a dry port managed by Cap Terminal is below 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

It is a small lightering port on the southern coast of Haiti. It’s 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 sophisticated 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 outdated 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 autos at this port, though there isn’t a particular RORO berth right here, and a small vessel would possibly face difficulties as a result of essential 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.

Although 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 gear and no stevedore firm, although forklifts may be sourced domestically. Ships right here should self-discharge, and the pier can deal with heavy vans.

There isn’t any lined cupboard space both, and cargo must be shifted from the port premises shortly after it arrives. There are not any massive parking areas or transportation corporations; nonetheless, vans may be employed from the city or Port au Prince.

Port of Lafito

Lafito is a privately owned worldwide container terminal overlaying 13 hectares. It’s the solely 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 gear and infrastructure are in good situation, though the port itself is uncovered as a result of absence of a breakwater.

The port is oriented within the northwest-southeast course and has a 450 m lengthy berth, which extends to 500 m with the mooring dolphins. Although 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 stored 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 are usually not common, and there’s no port schedule. Port buildings are high-quality; nonetheless, the wharf wants upkeep because the space is small and may expertise congestion. The port can also be uncovered, and witnesses swell often.

The pier is oriented north-south and is 60 m lengthy with a single bollard. Its wall is damaged, and there are not any fenders. It’s 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. Coming into the port may be hazardous as a result of 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 harm 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 isn’t sheltered and uncovered in 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 essentially the most used and has fenders together with two bollards on both aspect.

The port doesn’t have any dealing with gear 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 may be rented. There’s 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 street 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 visitors.

The principle wharf features as a ferry terminal and is constructed on piles. Therefore, it has a weight restrict that should be stored in thoughts. The port has no shore-based cargo dealing with gear, and loading and unloading operations are accomplished utilizing guide energy. There are not any storage areas inside the port premises.

Port of Terminal Abraham

It is a non-public facility owned by the Khawly household. It’s primarily 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’s a RORO berth for coastal transporters.

A finger pier extends north-northwest from the shore and is uncovered to westerly winds. It’s in usable situation and receives cargo barges carrying heavy fuels on its shoreward aspect. On the similar 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.

A number of enterprises function on this port, similar to 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 may retailer cement.

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About Writer

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