Port of Cartagena
The Port of Cartagena is one of Colombia’s most important Caribbean gateways and a major container, transshipment, logistics, and general cargo hub serving Cartagena de Indias, Bolívar, northern Colombia, the Caribbean Basin, and inland Colombian supply chains. Located on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, the port supports importers, exporters, manufacturers, retailers, food distributors, agricultural producers, petrochemical companies, customs brokers, freight forwarders, logistics providers, and businesses moving cargo through one of the region’s most strategic maritime locations.
Cartagena is especially important for containerized freight, refrigerated cargo, transshipment cargo, food products, beverages, chemicals where permitted, plastics, resins, petrochemical cargo, machinery, consumer goods, retail inventory, automotive parts, agricultural products, project cargo, and general commercial freight. The port system includes major facilities such as Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Cartagena, commonly known as SPRC, and Terminal de Contenedores de Cartagena, commonly known as Contecar.
The port’s UN/LOCODE is COCTG. Shippers should confirm the exact terminal, carrier service, cargo type, customs requirements, documentation, inland delivery plan, container availability, reefer requirements, and terminal cut-off times before booking.
Port of Cartagena Overview
| Port Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Port name | Port of Cartagena |
| Country | Colombia |
| Department / city | Bolívar / Cartagena de Indias |
| Region | Caribbean Coast / Northern Colombia |
| UN/LOCODE | COCTG |
| Port type | Seaport / container gateway / transshipment hub / logistics port |
| Main container terminals | Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Cartagena, Contecar |
| Port group | Grupo Puerto de Cartagena |
| Main cargo focus | Containers, refrigerated cargo, transshipment cargo, food products, beverages, chemicals where permitted, plastics, resins, petrochemical cargo, machinery, consumer goods, retail cargo, automotive parts, agricultural products, project cargo, general freight |
| Main terminal types | Container terminals, reefer areas, CFS facilities, bonded areas, truck gates, customs zones, warehousing and logistics facilities |
| Cargo types | Containers, pallets, cartons, refrigerated cargo, food products, beverages, consumer goods, machinery, chemicals where permitted, plastics, resins, industrial cargo, project cargo, general freight |
| Suitable for | Importers, exporters, manufacturers, retailers, food companies, petrochemical shippers, customs brokers, freight forwarders, northern Colombia and Caribbean supply chains |
Why Ship Through the Port of Cartagena?
Cartagena is strategically located on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, making it highly relevant for cargo moving to and from northern Colombia, Bogotá-linked inland corridors, Medellín-linked routes, Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Bucaramanga, the Caribbean Basin, Central America, North America, Europe, and global transshipment networks.
For importers, Cartagena provides access to Colombia’s consumer, industrial, petrochemical, retail, food, construction, and manufacturing supply chains. Cargo arriving through Cartagena may move inland to Cartagena, Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Sincelejo, Montería, Bucaramanga, Medellín, Bogotá, and other Colombian markets depending on inland routing and final delivery requirements.
For exporters, the port supports Colombian cargo moving to North America, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia through transshipment networks, and other global destinations. Cartagena is especially important for export flows connected to food products, agricultural products, petrochemicals, plastics, manufactured goods, industrial goods, and containerized general cargo.
Cartagena is especially relevant for businesses that need access to:
- A major Colombian Caribbean container gateway
- SPRC and Contecar container terminal operations
- Caribbean, North American, European, and Latin American trade lanes
- Transshipment connectivity across the Caribbean Basin
- Northern Colombia and inland Colombian distribution routes
- Refrigerated cargo and temperature-sensitive shipments
- Food, beverage, agricultural, petrochemical, plastic, retail, machinery, and industrial cargo flows
- Customs, bonded warehousing, trucking, CFS, and inland delivery services
- Trade routes connecting Colombia with global shipping networks
Container Shipping Through Cartagena
The Port of Cartagena supports containerized import and export cargo through major container terminals including SPRC and Contecar. Container services through Cartagena can support FCL shipments, LCL shipments, refrigerated containers, food products, retail inventory, consumer goods, machinery, industrial cargo, petrochemical cargo, plastics, chemicals where permitted, agricultural products, and general commercial freight.
Businesses use Cartagena for:
- Import containers into Cartagena, Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Sincelejo, Montería, Bucaramanga, Medellín, Bogotá, and wider inland Colombia
- Export containers from Colombian manufacturers, agricultural producers, food companies, petrochemical companies, plastic and resin suppliers, retailers, and industrial producers
- Full container load shipments
- Less than container load shipments
- Refrigerated cargo and temperature-sensitive freight
- Food products, beverages, frozen goods, chilled goods, fruit, vegetables, seafood, meat products, and perishables where permitted
- Consumer goods, retail inventory, household goods, furniture, and eCommerce stock
- Machinery, spare parts, tools, and industrial equipment
- Petrochemical cargo, plastics, resins, and industrial inputs where permitted
- Chemicals and hazardous cargo where terminal compatibility and regulatory permissions are confirmed
- Agricultural cargo, coffee-related products, food ingredients, processed foods, and packaged commodities where permitted
- Project cargo and heavy cargo where terminal compatibility is confirmed
- Cargo moving to or from Cartagena, Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Montería, Sincelejo, Bucaramanga, Medellín, Bogotá, Cali, and other Colombian markets
- Shipments connected to Colón, Kingston, Caucedo, Rio Haina, Manzanillo, Veracruz, Altamira, Houston, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Savannah, Charleston, Santos, Buenos Aires, Valencia, Algeciras, Rotterdam, Antwerp-Bruges, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Le Havre, Genoa, Singapore, Busan, Shanghai, Ningbo-Zhoushan, Shenzhen, and other global gateways
For larger shipments, FCL shipping is usually suitable when cargo can fill a 20ft or 40ft container. For smaller shipments, LCL shipping allows businesses to move partial container loads without paying for a full container.
Cartagena Freight Rates
Freight Shipping Cost from & to Cartagena for a 20-foot Container
Port Capacity and Terminal Infrastructure
The Port of Cartagena is a major Caribbean container and logistics platform with terminal infrastructure supporting container handling, reefer cargo, transshipment cargo, CFS activity, customs procedures, bonded areas, truck gates, warehousing, yard operations, port services, and inland logistics.
The Cartagena port system includes Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Cartagena and Contecar, both part of the Grupo Puerto de Cartagena ecosystem. These facilities support high-volume container flows, import and export cargo, transshipment connections, reefer handling, logistics services, and cargo distribution for Colombia and the wider Caribbean region.
The port’s infrastructure supports:
- Container handling
- FCL and LCL cargo
- Import and export container flows
- Transshipment cargo
- Refrigerated and frozen cargo handling
- Food products, beverages, and temperature-sensitive shipments
- Consumer goods, retail cargo, furniture, and eCommerce inventory
- Machinery, spare parts, and industrial equipment
- Petrochemical cargo, plastics, resins, and industrial materials where permitted
- Chemicals and hazardous cargo where permitted
- Agricultural products and food ingredients
- Breakbulk and project cargo where terminal compatibility is confirmed
- CFS and cargo consolidation support
- Yard and gate operations
- Customs and inspection procedures
- Trucking connections across northern Colombia and inland markets
- Bonded storage, warehousing, distribution, and logistics support in the Cartagena region
This infrastructure makes Cartagena suitable for shippers that need a Colombian Caribbean gateway, international container connectivity, transshipment access, reefer services, petrochemical cargo support, food and beverage logistics, retail distribution, and inland links to Colombian commercial and industrial markets.
Main Cargo Handled Through Cartagena
The Port of Cartagena handles a broad mix of containerized cargo, transshipment cargo, refrigerated cargo, food products, beverages, consumer goods, retail inventory, machinery, petrochemical cargo, plastics, resins, chemicals where permitted, agricultural products, industrial inputs, project cargo, and general commercial freight.
| Cargo Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Containerized imports | Consumer goods, machinery, food products, beverages, retail inventory, chemicals where permitted, industrial inputs, general cargo |
| Containerized exports | Food products, petrochemical cargo, plastics, resins, agricultural products, manufactured goods, industrial cargo, general cargo |
| Transshipment cargo | Containers moving through Cartagena to Caribbean, Latin American, North American, European, and global destinations |
| Refrigerated cargo | Frozen food, chilled cargo, fruit, vegetables, seafood, meat products, perishables, temperature-sensitive products where service is available |
| Food and beverage cargo | Packaged foods, drinks, ingredients, frozen products, fresh products where permitted |
| Agricultural cargo | Coffee-related products, fruits, food ingredients, processed agricultural goods, packaged commodities where permitted |
| Retail and consumer goods | Store inventory, household goods, furniture, electronics, clothing, seasonal products |
| eCommerce cargo | Marketplace inventory, DTC products, consolidated stock, fulfillment cargo |
| Machinery cargo | Equipment, spare parts, tools, industrial machinery, production equipment |
| Industrial cargo | Manufacturing inputs, components, tools, materials, production supplies |
| Petrochemical cargo | Plastics, resins, packaged petrochemical products, industrial inputs where permitted |
| Chemical and plastic cargo | Packaged chemicals, resins, plastics, industrial materials where permitted |
| Project cargo | Heavy equipment, oversized units, industrial cargo, infrastructure cargo where terminal compatibility is confirmed |
| General cargo | Pallets, cartons, mixed commercial freight, samples, packaged goods |
Cartagena is especially relevant for shippers that need access to Caribbean transshipment networks, northern Colombia distribution, refrigerated cargo services, food and beverage cargo, petrochemical supply chains, plastics and resins, industrial cargo, and inland Colombian logistics routes.
Shipping to Cartagena, Colombia
Importers ship cargo to Cartagena from North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and other global trade regions. Imported cargo may support retail distribution, manufacturing, food supply chains, petrochemical production, plastics processing, construction projects, industrial operations, wholesale markets, and inland delivery across northern Colombia and wider national markets.
Common imports to Cartagena include:
- Consumer goods and retail inventory
- Electronics and household goods
- Machinery and spare parts
- Industrial equipment and production inputs
- Food products and beverages
- Frozen and chilled cargo where service is available
- Chemicals, plastics, and resins where permitted
- Petrochemical inputs and industrial materials where permitted
- Paper, packaging, and manufacturing materials
- Construction materials
- Automotive parts and equipment
- Project cargo and heavy equipment where permitted
- General commercial freight
When shipping to Cartagena, importers should compare total landed cost rather than only the ocean freight rate. Total landed cost may include origin charges, ocean freight, destination charges, Colombian customs duties, VAT, terminal handling, customs broker fees, documentation fees, inspection fees, storage, demurrage, detention, trucking, inland delivery, bonded warehousing, cold storage, warehouse handling, and cargo insurance.
Use the iContainers ocean freight calculator to estimate shipping costs and compare available freight options.
Shipping From Cartagena, Colombia
Exporters use Cartagena for cargo moving from Cartagena, Bolívar, Atlántico, Magdalena, Antioquia, Santander, Bogotá-linked inland corridors, and other Colombian production regions to international markets. The port can support containerized exports, food products, agricultural products, petrochemical cargo, plastics, resins, chemicals where permitted, manufactured goods, machinery, refrigerated cargo, project cargo, and general commercial freight.
Common export cargo from Cartagena and inland Colombia includes:
- Food products and beverages
- Agricultural products and food ingredients
- Frozen and chilled cargo where service is available
- Petrochemical products where permitted
- Plastics, resins, and related industrial materials
- Manufactured goods
- Machinery and spare parts
- Industrial components and tools
- Chemicals where permitted
- Retail and consumer goods
- Project cargo and heavy equipment where permitted
- General containerized freight
For exporters, the best shipping option depends on cargo volume, commodity type, destination, Incoterm, carrier service, terminal cut-off, container availability, reefer equipment availability, export documentation, inland pickup location, inspection requirements, commodity restrictions, and required transit time.
FCL is usually more efficient for larger commercial volumes, while LCL can work well for smaller shipments, samples, cartons, pallets, and partial container loads moving through consolidation networks.
FCL vs LCL Shipping Through Cartagena
| Shipping Option | Best For | Main Advantage | Consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| FCL shipping | Full 20ft or 40ft container loads | Dedicated container and fewer cargo touchpoints | Best when shipment volume justifies a full container |
| LCL shipping | Smaller shipments, cartons, pallets, samples, partial loads | Pay only for the space used | May involve consolidation or deconsolidation through Cartagena, Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Colón, Kingston, Caucedo, or another regional hub |
| Reefer container | Food products, fruit, vegetables, seafood, meat, frozen goods, chilled cargo, perishables | Maintains controlled temperature during transit | Requires reefer equipment, plug availability, temperature settings, and documentation |
| Transshipment cargo | Cargo moving through Cartagena to other ports | Useful for regional and global connectivity | Requires accurate routing, carrier schedule checks, and cut-off coordination |
| Food and beverage cargo | Packaged foods, beverages, ingredients, frozen products | Useful for import and export flows | Requires product classification, permits where applicable, and inspection planning |
| Petrochemical cargo | Plastics, resins, packaged petrochemical products, industrial inputs | Strong fit for Cartagena-linked industrial flows | Requires cargo classification, safety documentation, and terminal compatibility |
| Retail and eCommerce cargo | Store inventory, marketplace stock, household goods, fashion goods | Useful for Colombian commercial distribution | Requires SKU planning, carton labeling, commercial invoices, and customs data accuracy |
| Machinery and industrial cargo | Equipment, spare parts, tools, production machinery | Supports manufacturing and industrial supply chains | Requires weight checks, packing, permits where applicable, and accurate cargo descriptions |
| Chemical and plastic cargo | Packaged chemicals, resins, plastics, industrial materials | Supports manufacturing and industrial cargo flows | Requires classification, permits, safety documentation, and terminal compatibility |
| Project cargo | Oversized machinery, heavy equipment, infrastructure cargo | Useful for complex industrial shipments | Requires terminal approval, lifting plans, dimensions, weight checks, and route planning |
| General cargo shipping | Consumer goods, machinery, retail goods, packaged cargo | Flexible for standard commercial freight | Requires accurate packing, labeling, documentation, and cargo details |
For shippers comparing route options, iContainers’ transit time calculator can help estimate shipping times before booking.
Customs Clearance at Cartagena and Colombia
Cargo imported or exported through Cartagena must comply with Colombian customs and border requirements. Importers, exporters, freight forwarders, customs brokers, manufacturers, retailers, food companies, petrochemical companies, chemical companies where permitted, industrial suppliers, and logistics providers should prepare accurate shipment data before cargo arrival, customs entry, inspection, release, inland delivery, or vessel departure.
Required data may include product descriptions, HS codes, customs value, country of origin, shipper details, consignee details, importer information, exporter information, tax identification details, permits where applicable, and supporting documentation.
Commercial shipments through Colombia may require documents such as a commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or sea waybill, import declaration, export declaration, customs entry records, certificate of origin when required, import registration or import license when applicable, export authorization when applicable, insurance certificate, and product-specific certificates or inspection documents.
Regulated goods such as food products, agricultural goods, meat, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, cosmetics, electronics, batteries, hazardous cargo, chemicals, plants, animals, vehicles, textiles, dual-use goods, and restricted items may require additional permits, inspection, testing, agency approval, safety documentation, sanitary or phytosanitary clearance, or product compliance records under Colombian rules.
For more general guidance, read iContainers’ guide to customs clearance.
Documents Needed for Shipping Through Cartagena
Most commercial ocean freight shipments to or from Cartagena require:
- Commercial invoice
- Packing list
- Bill of lading or sea waybill
- Import declaration, when importing
- Export declaration, when exporting
- Customs entry documents
- HS code or product classification
- Importer details, when importing into Colombia
- Exporter details, when exporting from Colombia
- Consignee and shipper details
- Tax identification details, when applicable
- Certificate of origin, when required
- Import registration, when applicable
- Import license, when applicable
- Export authorization or export permit, when applicable
- Product inspection documents, when applicable
- Delivery order or cargo release documents
- Insurance certificate, when applicable
- Food safety documents, when applicable
- Sanitary or phytosanitary certificates, when applicable
- Fumigation or wood packaging documentation, when applicable
- Agricultural, food, petrochemical, chemical, battery, pharmaceutical, textile, machinery, or vehicle documentation, when applicable
- Dangerous goods declaration, when applicable
- Safety data sheet, for chemicals or hazardous cargo
- Battery documentation, when applicable
- Customs broker authorization or power of attorney, when using a customs broker
- Inland transport documents, when cargo moves by truck, warehouse transfer, bonded storage, cold storage, distribution center, or final delivery
Documentation should be complete and consistent before cargo arrival, customs release, inland transfer, export gate-in, or vessel departure. Incorrect HS codes, incomplete product descriptions, missing permits, inaccurate invoices, inconsistent consignee details, late customs filings, missing inspection documents, unclear cargo values, or missing agency approvals can delay customs clearance and increase costs.
Common Shipping Routes for Cartagena
Cartagena connects Colombia with North American, Caribbean, Latin American, European, Asian, and global trade lanes through container services, transshipment networks, feeder connections, trucking, warehousing, customs services, bonded logistics, and inland distribution networks.
| Trade Lane | Common Cargo |
|---|---|
| North America to Cartagena | Consumer goods, machinery, chemicals where permitted, food products, industrial inputs, retail cargo |
| Cartagena to North America | Food products, petrochemical cargo, plastics, agricultural cargo, manufactured goods, general freight |
| Europe to Cartagena | Machinery, consumer goods, food products, beverages, chemicals where permitted, industrial inputs |
| Cartagena to Europe | Food products, agricultural cargo, plastics, petrochemical cargo, manufactured goods, general freight |
| Asia to Cartagena | Consumer goods, electronics, machinery, retail cargo, industrial inputs, textiles |
| Cartagena to Asia | Food products, industrial goods, petrochemical cargo, plastics, manufactured goods, general cargo |
| Caribbean to Cartagena | Regional cargo, food products, beverages, consumer goods, transshipment cargo |
| Cartagena to Caribbean | Food products, retail cargo, machinery, industrial goods, transshipment cargo, general freight |
| Latin America to Cartagena | Food products, beverages, machinery, industrial cargo, regional freight |
| Cartagena to Latin America | Petrochemical cargo, plastics, food products, machinery, consumer goods, general freight |
| Cartagena to northern Colombia | Imports moving by truck, bonded storage, warehouse transfer, cold storage, and regional distribution |
| Cartagena to inland Colombia | Retail inventory, food cargo, machinery, industrial inputs, petrochemical cargo, and general commercial freight |
Routing may involve direct ocean services, feeder services, trucking, inland pickup, bonded warehousing, cold storage, transloading, or transshipment through Cartagena, Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Colón, Kingston, Caucedo, Rio Haina, Manzanillo, Veracruz, Altamira, Houston, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Savannah, Charleston, Santos, Buenos Aires, Valencia, Algeciras, Rotterdam, Antwerp-Bruges, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Le Havre, Genoa, Singapore, Busan, Shanghai, Ningbo-Zhoushan, Shenzhen, and other hubs depending on carrier schedule, cargo type, terminal availability, and destination.
When Should You Use Cartagena Instead of Another Colombian Port?
Cartagena can be suitable when:
- The cargo origin or destination is in Cartagena, Bolívar, Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Sincelejo, Montería, Bucaramanga, Medellín, Bogotá-linked corridors, or northern Colombia
- The shipment benefits from access to a major Colombian Caribbean container and transshipment hub
- The cargo involves containers, refrigerated cargo, food products, beverages, petrochemical cargo, plastics, resins, retail goods, machinery, chemicals where permitted, industrial inputs, project cargo, or general commercial freight
- Inland delivery is more efficient through Cartagena than through Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Buenaventura, or another Colombian gateway
- The shipment needs access to SPRC, Contecar, reefer support, bonded storage, trucking routes, CFS services, or Cartagena-area logistics networks
- Carrier schedule, terminal availability, trucking cost, customs process, cargo type, equipment availability, and landed cost are better through Cartagena
Another Colombian port may be more suitable when cargo is closer to a different gateway or when a specific carrier service, inland corridor, terminal, or commodity flow provides a better total cost. Buenaventura may be better for some Pacific-facing cargo and Asia trade lanes. Barranquilla and Santa Marta may be suitable for certain northern Colombia cargo flows depending on cargo type, terminal availability, inland distance, and service schedule.
The right port choice should be based on total landed cost, cargo origin, inland distance, terminal availability, current operational status, sailing schedule, commodity type, customs requirements, reefer needs, service frequency, trucking capacity, warehouse availability, and required delivery date.
How to Get an Ocean Freight Quote for Cartagena
To get a freight quote to or from Cartagena, prepare the following details:
- Origin and destination
- Port-to-port, door-to-port, port-to-door, or door-to-door requirement
- Cargo weight and dimensions
- Number of pallets, cartons, boxes, containers, or shipment units
- FCL, LCL, reefer, general cargo, hazardous cargo, machinery cargo, chemical cargo, industrial cargo, food cargo, petrochemical cargo, plastics cargo, agricultural cargo, project cargo, or temperature-controlled cargo preference
- Commodity description and HS code, if available
- Cargo ready date
- Incoterm
- Supplier, warehouse, factory, farm, processor, production site, bonded facility, distribution center, cold storage, or inland pickup address, if exporting
- Final delivery address, if importing or arranging door delivery
- Customs clearance requirements
- Colombian import registration, import license, export authorization, sanitary, phytosanitary, regulatory, or agency requirements, if applicable
- Product inspection, safety, customs, food, agricultural, chemical, battery, petrochemical, textile, machinery, vehicle, or other agency requirements, if applicable
- Special handling requirements, such as reefer cargo, hazardous cargo, chemicals, lithium batteries, food cargo, agricultural cargo, oversized cargo, customs inspection, product testing, high-value cargo, bonded warehousing, warehouse delivery, transloading, or final-mile appointment
- Preferred carrier, terminal, trucking provider, customs broker, warehouse, bonded facility, cold storage provider, consolidation provider, or transshipment hub, if already specified
With iContainers, businesses can compare ocean freight options online, review available rates, and manage international shipments through a digital booking process.
FAQ About the Port of Cartagena
The Port of Cartagena is located in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, on the country’s Caribbean coast.
The UN/LOCODE for Cartagena, Colombia is COCTG.
Cartagena handles containerized cargo, transshipment cargo, refrigerated cargo, food products, beverages, petrochemical cargo, plastics, resins, machinery, consumer goods, chemicals where permitted, project cargo, and general commercial freight.
Major container facilities in Cartagena include Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Cartagena, commonly known as SPRC, and Terminal de Contenedores de Cartagena, commonly known as Contecar.
Cartagena may be more suitable when cargo is linked to Colombia’s Caribbean coast, northern Colombia, Atlantic trade lanes, or transshipment networks. Buenaventura may be better for Pacific-facing cargo, some Asia trade lanes, or inland routes where Pacific access provides a better total landed cost.
Reference Links
- Puerto de Cartagena - Official Website
- Puerto de Cartagena - Who Are We
- Puerto de Cartagena - Port Services
- Puerto de Cartagena - Contact Information
- UNECE - UN/LOCODE Colombia List
- DIAN - Colombia Customs and Foreign Trade
- International Trade Administration - Colombia Import Requirements and Documentation
- International Trade Administration - Colombia Customs Laws and Regulations