Bridgetown, Barbados

International Shipping to Oranjestad, ArubaPort of Call: Oranjestad, Aruba

Barbados, a small island in the southeastern seas of the Caribbean, is known for its beautiful beaches and lively culture. The capital, Bridgetown, is located on the southwestern side of the country and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011. The town has many fun attractions near the port, making it a popular destination for cruise ships.

The modern Bridgetown port opened in May of 1961 and is now managed by the Barbados Port Inc. Its core values are sustainability, efficiency, reliability, innovation, and teamwork. Its mission is, “To be the most customer focused, cost effective and highly efficient provider of value driven cruise, cargo services, and related property development services while providing satisfactory benefits to stakeholders, including customers and employees.”

There are six main berths and four main terminals. The marine terminal handles the most, including containers for personal goods and food, liquid bulk for oil, dry bulk for materials, break-bulk for agriculture equipment and materials, and automobiles. The facilities and equipment terminal handles refrigeration, waste reception, tanks, bulk cargo, tankers, and suppliers and has extra storage areas. Lastly, the cruise terminal operates with 27 different cruise lines.

Bridgetown’s most common imports are goods, machinery, construction, chemicals, and electrical parts. Its most common exports are manufactures, sugar, cotton, chemicals, and electrical parts. It does the majority of its trade with the United States, bringing in $753 million in US goods (2021) and sending 1/6 of its own goods. Its next biggest trade partners are Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica.

Quick stats about the port from 2021:

  • 1,004 total vessel calls
  • 967,093 total imports
  • 147,202 total exports
  • 1,258,251 total tonnage handled 
  • 93,044 total TEUs handled
  • 854,199 total bulk cargo
  • 99,335 total cruise passengers 

For international shipping, it is important to understand each country’s customs. As a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Barbados follows its guidelines. It requires a bill of landing, CARICOM or commercial invoice, supplier invoice, and a C-63 form containing identifying information about the cargo. The Common External Tariff is also applied to all goods, which is around 0-20% for most. To emphasize their focus on sustainability, an additional 1% environmental levy is applied for certain cargo.

An experienced international shipping company like K International Transport can help clients transport all cargo from ports in the United States to Port Bridgetown, Barbados via ocean freight shipping in a hassle-free, efficient, and affordable manner. For more information on the port, visit https://barbadosport.com/. We have the capacity to move all types of equipment and are always ready to advise on the best way to do that on a case-to-case basis. K International Transport can also help clients make important decisions about their shipments, including the choice between container shipping options and RORO transport. 

For more information about international automobile shipping, overseas container equipment transport, Spain, or K International Transport’s services in general, call us at 212-267-6400 or email us at inquiries@kinternational.com. You can also reach out to us on Skype at kinternationalny. We look forward to working with you!