All Other El Salvador Ports, El Salvador
All Other El Salvador Ports serve as vital regional gateways supporting fishing, tourism, and local trade beyond the country’s main commercial hubs.
Port Overview
All other El Salvador ports, aside from Acajutla, include La Libertad and La Unión. La Libertad, located on the central Pacific coast, is a small port mainly serving fishing and local agricultural exports, with limited commercial cargo operations and no significant container throughput. La Unión, situated in the eastern Gulf of Fonseca, is a modern deepwater port with strategic potential for regional trade; however, its annual TEU capacity is modest at around 6,500 TEUs. Both ports are secondary to Acajutla in size and cargo volume but support local and regional economic activity.
Facilities & Infrastructure
El Salvador’s secondary ports include La Libertad and La Unión. La Libertad is primarily a fishing and farm export port with a small harbor, basic cargo pier, and limited crane facilities, mainly serving coastal and regional trade. La Unión is a modern deepwater port with container and general cargo terminals, mobile cranes, and storage yards. Both ports lack advanced automation like AGVs and focus on bulk, general cargo, and regional exports rather than large-scale container operations.
Container Terminals
El Salvador’s secondary container terminals include La Unión and La Libertad. La Unión has 2 berths, a 560-meter wharf, and an annual container capacity of about 6,500 TEUs. Automation is limited, with rubber-tired gantry cranes but no shore cranes; operations are managed by CEPA, with plans for private concession. La Libertad is mainly a fishing port, with minimal container activity, basic infrastructure, and local management. Major operators are not present at these ports.
Port Services
- Container handling: FCL and LCL services for various cargo types, including vehicles, machinery, and general goods.
- Cargo operations: Loading, unloading, consolidation, and secure storage for imports and exports.
- Ship services: Vessel berthing, port handling, and clearance for ships of different sizes.
- Warehousing: Bonded and non-bonded facilities for temporary storage and logistics support near major ports and inland customs zones.
- Customs: Full customs documentation, clearance support, and bonded cargo movement for efficient import/export processing.
Global Connectivity
All Other El Salvador Ports, including La Libertad and Cutuco, primarily serve regional trade, fishing, and agricultural exports. These ports connect El Salvador’s Pacific coast to Central American markets and support feeder shipping routes to larger hubs like Acajutla and La Unión. They facilitate access to regional destinations and, through transshipment, link to major global markets in North America, South America, and Asia via established Pacific shipping lanes.
Port Statistics
All Other El Salvador Ports – Key Statistics (2022):
- TEU Throughput: Approximately 242,000 TEU
- World Ranking: Outside the top 100 globally
- Number of Berths: Typically 2–4 per minor port
- Port Area: Generally under 20 hectares per facility
- Shipping Lines: Served mainly by regional and feeder lines, with limited direct calls from major global carriers
These ports handle a small share of El Salvador’s total container traffic, focusing on regional trade and feeder services.
