Costa Rica's banana exporters say the APM concession will result in rates that are 130% over the current administration. The dockworkers union, SINTRAJAP, also opposes the concession.
The National Chamber of Costa Rican Banana Producers is suing the government for granting the Limón port concession to Dutch APM terminals, to build and manage a “mega port” on the Caribbean coast.
Employers have asked the administrative court to annul the concession, arguing that the future port service of APM, will cost 130% more than the one operated by JAPDEVA, the state company that manages the Caribbean ports of Moín and Limon.
The banana producers also allege that the concession was made without having the appropriate technical feasibility studies.
The concession is also criticized by the JAPDEVA workers union [SINTRAJAP, which is supported by the ILWU Coast Longshore Division. -Ed], which proposes to modernize the existing port terminals, rather than allowing the construction of a new one.
The ministro de Obras Publicas y Transportes (MOPT), Francisco Jiménez, rejected the arguments of the banana producers and said that behind the demand there are the interests of transnational corporations that export Costa Rican bananas.
APM Terminals’ director of Central and South American investments, Paul Gallie, told BNamericas: “We have, under the concession agreement, 120 calendar days from the date of the award, which was March 1, to complete certain conditions for the contract, constitute the local company, capitalize it, change the bid bond to a construction bond, a whole range of administrative things we need to do before we sign the final concession agreement.”