The Colombian port of Santa Marta has started handling imported Kia vehicles from Slovakia. By the end of the year, it is expected to have handled around 4,000 Sportages.
The vehicles are being imported into Colombia on a monthly basis by regional distributor Metrokia SA and are being delivered to the port by Glovis.
The first call, which was made on June 15, consisted of a consignment of 1,146 units, which had been shipped from the German port of Bremenhaven. The port authorities hope Santa Marta will become a hub for finished vehicles for South America, pointing out that it has very low levels of humidity and salinity, so that imported vehicles will not suffer corrosion during dwell time.
“With the opening of the Colombian market to cars manufactured in Europe, specifically in Slovakia, we are generating new income opportunities for various sectors. The important thing is to continue supporting this good news with efficient operations and with zero incidents,” noted Domingo Chinea Barrera, president of the port company.
The port of Santa Marta, which recently set a national record in handling 408 vehicles per hour without incident, sits adjacent to the Las Americas Free Zone, which includes vehicle processing facilities.
