Find Freight, Shipping and Logistics expertise in Trinidad and Tobago
Freight and shipping of goods and cargo take place to, from and within Trinidad and Tobago via sea, air and land.
The shipping industry is well developed and The European Commission estimates that in 2010 Trinidad and Tobago imported goods (principally from US, EU and Brazil) to the value of €4.6 billion and exported €10.7 billion worth of goods, mainly to US, EU and Jamaica. Import commodities are typically petroleum and associated products, steel products, beverages, cereal, cocoa, coffee, fruit and vegetables and exports generally comprise of mineral fuels, lubricants, machinery, transportation equipment and manufactured goods amongst other things.
Over 20 companies provide air freight services. In terms of transport infrastructure outside the shipping industry, there are five airports in the country of which two have paved runways. Furthermore, there are approximately 8,000km of roadway in Trinidad and Tobago half of which is paved.
There are two main maritime ports in the country that currently undertake transhipment activity – the port of Port of Spain and that of Point Lisas. The Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago is a statutory body under the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago Governing Unit (PATTGU) and governs all activities relating to sea freight in the country and directs several smaller bodies within the bounds of the Port Authority Act (1961). It has 15 berths of varying lengths, from 72-248m with a depth of over 200m. The Port of Spain Infrastructure Company (POSINCO) and deals mainly with landlord issues relating to cruise shipping; PATTGU is also responsible for the Trinidad and Tobago Inter-Island Transportation Company (TTIT) which runs a passenger ferry service between the islands.
The Port at Point Lisas is often referred to as the ‘gateway to the Americas’ and has Point Lisas Industrial Port Development Corporation (PLIPDECO) as is authority. Point Lisas has six commercial berths and deals with shipments of a wide range of goods including dry and liquid bulk, containers as well as general cargo and breakbulk and caters for businesses and individuals. It also handles much project cargo which mostly makes the short trip from the port to the neighbouring industrial estate.
In 2007 the University of Trinidad and Tobago opened a new campus, the Maritime Studies Institute, in part to develop expertise in the sector. The Shipping Association of Trinidad and Tobago is a major industry body which is affiliated with other regional associations including the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA).
There are some 67 companies involved in the sector on Trinidad and Tobago offering a range of services. There are cargo agents, ocean cargo, freight forwarders and elevators. The Port of Port of Spain (PPOS) which is the cargo handling business unit of the Authority and provides a range of services including berthing, breakbulk, dry and liquid/bulk cargo vessels, towage services alongside container freight services and warehousing.
