Inter‑island logistics: feeders + digital customs
Media coverage this week pushed two themes for Caribbean supply chains: expand flexible feeder networks to reduce reliance on global carriers, and digitize customs with EDI and pre‑arrival clearance to shave days off turnaround — both framed as practical resilience moves, summarized. The combined approach targets transit time and port dwell reductions critical for perishables and urgent resupply.
CMA CGM added a new Caribbean feeder connection) linking Pointe‑à‑Pitre, Kingston, Puerto Cortes and Puerto Barrios to boost intra‑regional transshipment options. The carrier’s CARIFEED service runs weekly, 21‑day intra‑Caribbean rotations) using vessels with nominal capacities in the ~875–1,096 TEU range.(cma-cgm.fr) Analysts flagged Kingston as a practical regional hub for feeder aggregation in recent carrier network moves, citing CMA CGM’s Motagua / feeder adjustments and the island’s gateway role in Central America‑Caribbean loops.(icicoverage.com) Jamaica’s electronic single window reduced permit approval from three days to 24 hours) and coincided with a reported 29% rise in imports and 28% rise in exports in 2022 versus 2021.(unctad.org) A Caribbean maritime pre‑arrival platform, Sailclear, provides regional pre‑arrival notifications) and is administered in coordination with the Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council (CCLEC).(cclec.org) The Caribbean Development Bank’s port study identifies yard management systems, single windows and targeted investment as priority measures) and includes port fact sheets and a container‑demand forecast through 2025 for multiple island ports.(caribank.org)
