Manzanillo International Terminal (MIT) and Colon Container Terminal (CCT), both port terminals located on the Atlantic side of Panama, have joined the collaboration efforts to help optimize supply routes for the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine and supplies to Latin America.
The Panama Canal, MIT and CCT have signed Memorandums of Understanding to establish an alliance of cooperation and explore working together to form a logistic hub on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal for the storage and distribution of the vaccine and supplies for the region.
The Panama Canal will look into the development of additional facilities to store and/or break-bulk vaccine cargoes, power sources or surplus supplies, as well as connection roads to both terminals on the Atlantic side.
MIT and CCT will cooperate with the design and equipment necessary to transport the containers with the vaccine between the terminals and the facilities. The ports will also provide operational expertise to explore their current terminal’s capacities to handle increased refrigerated containers.
With these agreements, MIT and CCT join Panama Ports Company (PPC) and PSA Panama International Terminal (PSA Panama) on the Pacific coast, in their efforts to handle and distribute the vaccines and supplies due to the pandemic.