Ports on the edge: why the next generation of giant ships already has a problem before it sails
The shipping industry is weighing another jump in vessel size. After settling on 24,000 TEUs as the benchmark for intercontinental routes, several leading carriers are now looking at 27,000 TEU ships, a class larger still. China already proved the jump is technically feasible. In 2024 it unveiled a 27,500 TEU…
Trucking got 6% pricier in a year, and transport is now nearly half of Colombia’s logistics cost
Running a truck in Colombia cost 6.07% more in August 2026 than a year earlier, according to DANE’s road freight cost index. DANE is the national statistics agency, and the index tracks what it costs to operate a cargo vehicle: driver, tolls, fuel and maintenance. The index is up 5.62%…
UAE and Singapore: which Colombian products would enter tariff-free and why there is still no date
On September 28, Colombia’s Foreign Ministry sent the UAE and Singapore trade agreements to Congress, along with an update to the Pacific Alliance rules. All three were signed years ago and never put into force. None of them applies today. Before they do, each must go through Congress and the…
Typhoons in China are not bad luck this season, there is a cycle behind it
El Niño shows up every two to seven years, on an irregular cycle. When it does, it warms the Pacific and fuels more typhoons than usual. 2026 is one of those years. NOAA (the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) put the odds at 69% that this would be the…
Two ports for all heavy machinery: what it changes for equipment importers
The government restricted heavy machinery imports into Colombia, and that reshuffled the board for any company bringing in heavy equipment. The measure does not close imports. Instead, it changes where they can happen, and that detail reshapes routes, timelines and customs clearance costs for importers in construction, infrastructure, agribusiness and…
Fertilizers at Puerto Antioquia: what export farming gains from the new route
The first fertilizer vessel from We Agro has arrived at Puerto Antioquia. The news itself is short. What’s worth looking at is where fertilizers now enter the country and who benefits from them coming in through here. The operation belongs to We Agro, part of the GreenLand Group. They built…
Port of Buenaventura: quake, gridlock and pricier cargo
On August 10, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake with its epicenter near San José del Palmar, in Chocó, shook southwestern Colombia for nearly two minutes. Buenaventura was left with damaged roads, interrupted services and a human toll the region still carries. For foreign trade the effect was immediate: the main Pacific…
Puerto Antioquia now operates with ICA phytosanitary inspection: what changes for importers and exporters
The ICA confirmed it is already carrying out phytosanitary and zoosanitary inspection at Puerto Antioquia, the Urabá terminal that began operating in February 2026. As a result, agricultural cargo moving through this point can meet sanitary requirements without being rerouted to another port, and that detail hits the timeline and…
Golden Week 2026: what every importer should know before October 1
Golden Week 2026 doesn’t arrive alone this year. The Mid-Autumn Festival falls between September 25 and 27, and National Day runs from October 1 to 7. Between the two dates, only three regular working days remain: September 28, 29, and 30. Anyone importing from China needs that window marked weeks…
Why ocean freight rates keep rising in 2026
If your ocean freight cost has gone up in recent months without a clear explanation from your agent, you’re not alone. In 2026, container prices no longer respond to supply and demand alone: geopolitical conflict, typhoon season, environmental regulation, and even how carriers reposition empty containers are all pushing rates…