The Free Trade Agreement between Colombia and the United States should have come into effect last May. It is an opportunity for east coast US ports like Port Everglades, and Buenaventura and Cartagena in Colombia. However, investment of US$26 billion will be needed to update the inefficient Colombian transport infrastructure before the agreement can become fully effective.
World Port Development
The American ports have integrated numerous measures to reduce their environmental impact. A wide range of actions has also been undertaken in partnership with the population and economic stakeholders, from the planting of trees with schoolchildren to more ambitious operations. All of this is contributing to strengthen a local community solution which the ports judge to be essential to their development.
AAPA Seaports magazine
"You can never have too many friends" ; an opinion of Christopher Lytle, Executive Director of Port of Long Beach which expresses the ever greater importance which the American ports are giving to dialogue with the community. The environment holds an essential place here, not only as one of the elements now present in any new project, but also as a ground for joint actions between the port and the citizens. Examples
The 20 year masterplan of Port Everglades is being revised, a revision concerning which the public are invited to react up to the end of August. This notably concerns the cruise activities. Port Everglades, like Miami, consider that they will soon be saturated in this sector. Modernised equipment no longer suffices to receive ever larger liners and, in consultation with the cruise operators, new terminals are to be planned.
Port Everglades Public Master Plan Meeting
2009 Master/Vision Plan Update Report, 2010
After receiving the approbation of the agreement between the Port and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), the extension of the South Port is now possible and will enable the port to receive the largest vessels which can go through the new Panama Canal. The sale of these 3.5 hectares in a protected zone is offset by the creation of 6.7 hectares of mangroves on the port territory, a project elaborated in consultation with the FDEP and the environmental associations.