Haiti’s First Panamax Port Up and Running

The economy of the Caribbean island nation of Haiti is set to receive a major boost after the country’s first Panamax container port – Port Lafito – was officially opened on July 2. 

The multi-million dollar project, led by Gilbert Bigio Group, is a private, public and international partnership between the Haitian government, the Haitian private sector and international financial institutions.

”Port Lafito will breathe new life into Haiti by creating new jobs, training for skilled labor, and encouraging foreign investment and development. This project will make a significant impact on the national economy and have a beneficial impact on the more than 10 million people that live here,” said Reuven Bigio, CEO of GB Group.

”We are proud to announce that the day has come where we can help bring Haiti to the forefront of modern logistics. None of this would have been possible without the support from our public and private partners, for which we are very grateful.”

Port Lafito also signed an International Sister Seaport with PortMiami to collaborate on the exchange of information and ideas, with the aim to increase cargo and trade between ports.

Port Lafito partnered with the marine terminal operator SSA Marine to oversee the port and terminal operations. In addition, Port Lafito installed two Liebherr LHM 420 mobile harbor cranes and finalized agreements with Evergreen Marine and King Ocean Services to include Lafito as a port of call.