SANTIAGO, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Cargo movement at Latin American and Caribbean ports increased 7.7 percent in 2018, the Chile-based United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) reported on Wednesday.
The total volume of activity exceeded 53.2 million TEU (20-foot, or 6-meter, equivalent unit) last year, representing 7.1 percent of global container movement.
It marked a slight increase over 2017, when there was a 6.6-percent increase in cargo movement.
The report presented by ECLAC is based on an analysis of data from 31 countries and 118 ports and port areas in the region.
According to the report, 10 countries contributed the most to the total volume of cargo handled, representing 84.1 percent of regional movement. These countries include Brazil, Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.
South America's east coast saw a 12-percent increase in port activity in 2018, while the west coast saw a 7-percent increase.
Cargo at Caribbean ports grew 12 percent, while Central America saw an increase of 7 percent on its west coast.
The Gulf of Mexico saw an 8-percent rise compared to 2017, and the Mexican Pacific, an 11-percent rise.
