APN leads effort to restore shattered economy of Haiti

Following the devastating earthquake of January 2010, the port authority of Haiti – the Autorité Portuaire Nationale (APN) – has been pursuing a strategy of reconstruction and inward investment in new facilities with a view to attracting more ship calls and getting the nation’s economy back on an even keel. 

On 12 January 2010 the Republic of Haiti was struck by a catastrophic earthquake of magnitude 7.0 with its epicentre only 25 km west of the capital, Port-au-Prince. 

The earthquake caused widespread damage across Haiti, most notably in Port-au-Prince. In addition to the human tragedy, in which at least 100,000 people were killed and a quarter of a million homes destroyed, the disaster had a severe impact on commerce and trade, with port facilities in Port-au-Prince crippled and out of action for months. 

Now the port authority, the Autorité Portuaire Nationale (APN), is moving ahead with plans to rebuild the country’s main ports, attract foreign investment and persuade more shipping lines – particularly containership lines – to call Haiti.

The earthquake destroyed most of the port facilities on the western side of Haiti. In Port-au-Prince the main pier at the northern end of the port was destroyed and the terminal collapsed. The south pier was severely damaged. The public quays collapsed as well as the private quays of Les Moulins d’Haiti, Thor and Terminal Varreux S.A. (Tevasa).

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