A Comparative Analysis of Port Logistics Services for Banana Exports Between Puerto Bolívar and the Limón-Moín Port Complex: A Literature Review

Abstract

This study provides a comparative analysis of port logistics services related to banana exports at Puerto Bolívar, Ecuador, and the Limón-Moín Port Complex, Costa Rica. A descriptive, documentary, and comparative study was conducted using a non-experimental design, based on a final corpus of 30 documentary sources, including scientific publications, official documents, technical reports, statistics, and port tariff schedules. The information was organized into categories related to infrastructure, operational services, operational efficiency, the cold chain, logistics costs, technology, quality, and competitiveness. The results show that both ports offer services for the receipt, handling, storage, loading, unloading, and refrigeration of goods. Puerto Bolívar demonstrates recent investments and infrastructure expansion, while the Limón-Moín Port Complex offers international connectivity and a diversified range of services for vessels and containerized cargo. The comparison of costs and efficiency was limited by the heterogeneity of tariff units, service components, and available indicators. Service quality could not be directly evaluated due to the absence of standardized measures of perception or satisfaction. It is concluded that both port systems have distinct strengths and that the asymmetry in documentation prevents the establishment of a valid overall superiority. For Puerto Bolívar, there is a need to complete and report on its refrigerated infrastructure and to document and publish comparable indicators, including the status of its digitization and logistics coordination, which the reviewed sources do not allow for assessment.