Maersk consolidates base in Panama

The world's largest shipping company moved 100,000 containers through the country of Panama during 2011

Major attractions are increasingly, calling each time more the attention of investors ,who decide to settle in Panama, a place that, with the passing of the years, has become one of the container transshipment centers largest in Latin America.

Among the benefits of the country to world trade, there are international class ports , that daily strive through investing millions to maintain market competitiveness.

Maersk, the world's largest shipping company, decided to establish its regional headquarters for Latin America and Caribbean in Panama, because of the benefits it offers in terms of logistics.

The company is known as a major shipping user of the Panama port system (Balboa and Manzanillo), railroad and thus Canal.

During 2011 conducted more than 500 transits through the waterway and transport more than 100,000 containers by rail.

In its schemes, it is included the investment in Latin America of $ 3 billion dollars in ports, logistics and oil.

"First, Panama is a country with a great maritime history , so it is natural that our regional activities are based here," said Robbert Van Troojien, Maersk Line commercial director for Latin America.

He asserted that every day there are more clients that establish their offices in the country, what reinforces the work done by Panamanians to make Panama become a major international business center, "an efficient place to operate .

The "hub" of Panama offers the best service platform for the transport chain of a shipping line in Latin America. However, he said that for Panama continues to develop in a sustainable manner, it is essential the creation of a master plan for the logistics industry, integrating efforts of the Government and the private sector, and provide a clear direction for the future for this important segment of the economy.

As for the challenges of the company,he said that "being profitable is an important part of ongoing efforts to improve our results."

"We have made progress in the first half of 2012, but we have to improve our financial performance to justify further major investments of Maersk Line in Latin America over the years."

He emphasized that the shipping company was a pioneer in the concept of "hub" for shipping purposes ,being the first to spread Pospanamax ships between Asia and Panama