WILLEMSTAD - Through the intervention of the Curaçao Ports Authority (CPA), 106 containers that had been stuck in the port of Jamaica for two months were transported to Curaçao. They were unloaded in the harbor last weekend. This was reported by the Ministry of Economic Development (MEO).
MEO Minister Ruisandro Cijntje recently spoke with representatives of the import companies (BVCA), supermarkets, (SUVECO), CPA, Curaçao Ports Services (CPS) and officials from his ministry to guarantee the supply of fuel and food. The minister assures that there is currently no food shortage.
At the request of Minister Cijntje, CPA approached its contacts at the shipping company CMA-CGM about chartering a container ship. The first cargo of containers stuck in the port of Jamaica has now arrived. It has also been agreed that the shipping company will sail weekly to Curaçao again. Due to a shortage of ships, CMA-CGM had to interrupt its scheduled services for the past two months.
MEO also reports that the minister will present an emergency plan in the short term to guarantee food security in the event of an escalation of the war in Ukraine. In addition, its officials will engage with suppliers and governments in the region, such as Colombia and Brazil. The aim is to be less dependent on the European market.
Finally, agreements are made at local level for the optimization of the logistics chain. For example, proposals must be made that enable agricultural companies to increase their production in the medium term. This will take place in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Environment and Nature (GMN).