The Ferry Between El Salvador and Costa Rica to Begin Operations Soon!

By Eddie Galdamez  |  May 5th, 2023
Ferry Between El Salvador and Costa Rica
Ferry Between El Salvador and Costa Rica. Image by CEPASV

The Salvadoran Autonomous Port Executive Commission CEPA recently announced that the ferry service between El Salvador and Costa Rica would commence operations in June 2023.

The Ferry is a strategic project by the Salvadoran and Costa Rican Governments to strengthen the commercial exchange between the two nations.

In 2020, Costa Rica and El Salvador entered into a memorandum committing to promoting a cargo ferry in the Pacific that expedites trade and relieves congestion at Central America’s land borders.

The ferry between the La Union port in El Salvador and Costa Rica’s Calderas port will reduce the travel time between the two nations to a single day.

The ferry project between El Salvador and Costa Rica will benefit the commerce sector the most, as evidenced by the trade figures between the two countries.

For Example, in 2020, Costa Rica exported 319 million dollars to El Salvador, while El Salvador exported 235 million dollars to Costa Rica.

The World Bank has helped the project by providing technical assistance to establish regulatory, administrative, and procedural conditions.

The ferry between El Salvador and Costa Rica is a superb idea for several reasons, including boosting trade between the two countries and providing an alternative regional trade route.

Furthermore, it will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% in line with the decarbonization policy, allowing the productive sector to reduce costs.

SEE ALSO: El Salvador Exports most of its Product to Central American Countries

Lastly, it will provide a faster and more efficient option, reducing travel time by avoiding crowds at border posts. Also, it will limit exposure to highway insecurity and deterioration of transport units along the Pacific Corridor.

The ferry is a faster and more efficient Short Sea Shipping multimodal option. A mode of transportation that could quickly spread to other countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, and Panama. This ferry service means a permanently open road for the transit of merchandise in the region. INCOP, Costa Rica.

According to the Costa Rican Institute of Pacific Ports (INCOP), the ferry will begin with 2 to 3 trips per week, and it will have 2 maritime border posts against 6 land border posts.

The Ferri is an innovative logistics corridor that will facilitate and expedite the mobility of people and goods between El Salvador and Costa Rica. Both countries have worked in an articulated way so that the results benefit the population. CEPA.

La Union Port in El Salvador
Ferry Between El Salvador and Costa Rica. Image by CEPASV

El Salvador Ferry, a strategic project to facilitate trade with Costa Rica

El Salvador Ferry is a strategic project by the Nayib Bukele administration to strengthen the commercial exchange between Costa Rica and El Salvador; the ferry connects the Port of La Union in El Salvador and the Caldera Port in Costa Rica.