Haiti's port authority reports recovery in container traffic after years of decline

Container traffic in Haiti is recovering after several years of contraction, the director general of the National Port Authority (Autorité Portuaire Nationale, APN), Jean Evens Charles, told Le Nouvelliste in remarks published Monday, October 26, 2026. "We are observing a recovery in container traffic after several years of contraction," Charles said, adding that it is nonetheless important to distinguish this upward trend from a full return to the record levels of 2021. According to Charles, APN statistical data show a contrasting evolution of national container traffic in recent years. He noted that national container traffic reached a peak of 137,350 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2021 before declining. The APN head did not, in the excerpt available, provide full figures for the subsequent years or the current recovery rate. The remarks come amid broader concerns about port operations in Haiti. Le Nouvelliste has previously reported that clashes between armed gangs have affected activities at the APN and the Varreux terminal, and that officials, including the prime minister during a visit to the North, have called on the port authority to improve efficiency and strengthen ties between Cap-Haïtien and its port.