Find Freight, Shipping and Logistics expertise in Nauru
There are few freight and shipping facilities in Nauru aside from those used for the declining phosphate mining industry. Nauru has no port and the shallow coral reef surrounding the island prevents access for large shipping lines, but there are several deep-water anchorages served by channels for small vessels and cantilever systems used for loading phosphate and other cargo. There is a small boat harbour in Anabar Bay, on the eastern side of the island. Nauru Port, owned by Nauru Phosphate Corporation, was once the country’s main port during the boom years of phosphate mining.
Over its 21km2, Nauru has 24 km of roadway, all of which is paved. A small narrow-gauge railway serves the mines.
Freight by air is limited to the weekly service to Australia and neighbouring islands which is provided by the state-owned and operated Our Airline. All airfreight comes to Nauru International Airport which is the country’s only airport.
Since the decline of the phosphate industry Nauru’s exports are minimal. As a result of the degradation of agricultural land due to the phosphate mining process, the principal import is food along with fuel, manufactures, building materials and machinery, most of which comes from Australia.
Third and fourth party logistics operators on the island are limited but global leaders in freight forwarding and courier services, TNT and DHL both operate within the country.
The World Bank Logistics Performance Index (LPI) scores countries on various aspects involved with shipping and logistics on a scale of one to five with five being the highest. New Zealand ranks in the top 50 out of 155 countries for all aspects of LPI and places highest in customs (20th) and tracking (27th). It comes slightly lower down in infrastructure (29th), shipment (33rd), logistics (34th) and timeliness (48th).
