Container drayage at Puerto Barrios.

The port

Puerto Barrios lies a few kilometers from Santo Tomás de Castilla, on the same Amatique Bay, in Izabal.

Its terminal, the Terminal Ferroviaria de Puerto Barrios, is operated by Chiquita through its subsidiary COBIGUA. It handles containerized and general cargo, with routes to the United States.

Import from Puerto Barrios

1. Release. The shipping line and customs release the container. This step is handled by you and your customs broker.
2. Terminal appointment. We book the pickup appointment at the terminal.
3. Port pickup. We pick up the container at Puerto Barrios.
4. Delivery. We haul it to your warehouse, plant or delivery point for unloading.
5. Empty return. We return the empty container to the yard designated by the shipping line.

Export through Puerto Barrios

1. Booking. The shipping line confirms the booking. This step is handled by you or your freight forwarder.
2. Empty pickup. We pick up the empty container at the shipping line’s yard.
3. Loading. We bring it to your plant or warehouse for loading.
4. Terminal appointment. We book the gate-in appointment at the terminal.
5. Terminal delivery. We deliver the loaded container to Puerto Barrios ahead of the vessel cutoff.

Routes and destinations

The route inland is the CA-9, the Atlantic Highway, which runs through Morales, Río Hondo and El Rancho to Guatemala City. Zacapa, Cobán (via the CA-14) and Petén (via the CA-13) branch off that route.

Some of the destinations on this route: Guatemala City, Zacapa, Cobán, Petén. We deliver nationwide.

What to prepare for a quote

• Type of operation: import or export.
• Delivery or pickup address (city, warehouse or plant).
• Equipment (20 or 40 ft) and number of containers.
• Gross weight per container, if you already know it.
• Expected date and the free days granted by the shipping line.
• Special conditions: overweight cargo or in-bond transport.

More detail in the guide What is drayage?.