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Cartagena
Colombia
COCTG
Clear
Congestion Status
AIS limited in region
7d1.2 at anchor
Stable
Trend
10 Apr 2026
Updated 30d ago

Port Intelligence — What freight teams need to know

Cartagena is the Caribbean's major transhipment hub and Colombia's primary container port. Growing as alternative to Colón/Balboa for Caribbean distribution, avoiding Panama Canal dependency. SPRC and Contecar are the main terminals. Relatively efficient by LatAm standards.

Weekly Operational Update
Clear

Week of 10 April 2026 · business_as_usual

Vessels at Anchor — 4-week trend

—22–28 days ago
—15–21 days ago
—8–14 days ago
1.2Last 7 days
Situation is stable
Customs Reality at Cartagena
5d
Published free time
3d
Effective free time

Colombian customs improving. INVIMA registration for food imports required.

Demurrage: $25/TEU/day · Detention: $15/TEU/day

Common Rejection Reasons

  • INVIMA sanitary registration missing for food products
  • Phytosanitary certificate issues
  • Import license for restricted goods

Known Holds

Food imports
INVIMA sanitary registration mandatory. Processing can take months.
Complete INVIMA registration well before first shipment.
Cold Chain Reality at Cartagena
Mitigation:Pre-arrange inland logistics. Colombian roads can be challenging.
Failure point:Inland transport
Significance:Moderate — Colombia exports coffee, flowers, fruit. Imports processed food.
Primary failure mode:Less severe port-side risk than many LatAm ports. Main risk is inland logistics in Colombia.
Reefer plug availability:Adequate
Alternative Ports to Cartagena

If disruption makes Cartagena unviable for your cargo

BuenaventuraCOBUN
Save $50/TEU
400 nm away+12h wait
Works for: Pacific Colombia / Ecuador cargo.
Not for: Caribbean routing.
CargoPilot®

Cargo Intelligence Platform

Know exactly what's happening to your cargo — before it becomes a problem.

CargoPilot applies deep AI analysis to every shipment moving through Cartagena — surfacing risks, customs traps, and delay patterns your freight team would otherwise miss.

  • AI-powered risk analysis on every shipment
  • Port disruption alerts delivered before they hit
  • Customs, demurrage & detention intelligence

First 3 shipments free. No credit card required.

Live AIS Vessels

AIS coverage limited at this port. The free AIS tier has restricted coverage in some regions, particularly mainland China ports and parts of the Middle East.

Money Traps at Cartagena
INVIMA registration delay
Months-long process. Cargo held without registration.
Start INVIMA process 6+ months before first food shipment.
Seasonal Patterns
Sep-Nov (Hurricane season)
Caribbean hurricane risk. Cartagena is south of typical hurricane tracks but can be affected.
Monitor NHC.

Sources

Port intelligence: CargoPilot curated research

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