P
ort Castries is a bustling Cruise Port catering to over
600,000 cruise passengers a year. Very often, besides
the majestic cruise vessels are the cargo vessels that
transport cargo from the countries of export to the final
consumers in Saint Lucia. From the food that locals and
visitors eat to the clothes they wear, their household items
to the vehicles they drive – all pass through the facilities of
Port Castries. The Port thus serves as a facilitator of trade
and plays a critical role in the supply chain; it provides the
efficient interface between ships with cargo and
consumers ashore.
Port Castries is home to cargo handling activities
catering to the local market along with Port Vieux Fort
which, primarily handles transhipment cargo. Cargo
operations at Port Castries have changed significantly
from what they were before and a noticeable change has
been observed from predominantly handling break-bulk to
containerised cargo. The containerisation of cargo has
resulted in cargo being more secure, protected from the
elements of nature, and easier to be transferred from one
mode of transportation to another.
The emergence of containers and innovative
developments in ship construction resulted in specialised
ships being built to carry specific cargoes. In some
instances, to increase their carrying capacity, some
HANDBOOK & PORT DIRECTORY 2013/2015
Port Castries Cargo
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FacilitatingtheIsland’sTrade
SAINT LUCIA AIR AND SEA PORTS AUTHORITY
