The seabridge between Port-of-Spain and Tobago is a vital economic lifeline and when cargo movement falters, the consequences ripple through supermarkets, hardware stores, hotels and households across the island.
The Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce’s Tobago Division has now placed detailed concerns on the record, including extended delivery times, reduced sailing frequency, 48–52-hour truck turnaround cycles, prolonged port waiting periods, rising transportation costs and inadequate arrangements for refrigerated cargo. What was once a predictable one-day supply cycle has stretched into a two to three-day logistical ordeal.
Under the current configuration, cargo loaded in Port-of-Spain in the morning does not sail until about 11 pm, arriving in Tobago at 6 am the following day. When return scheduling is factored in, trucks can remain tied up for two days. Sailing frequency, businesses say, has dropped from roughly five sailings per week to three.
For truckers, the burden is acute. Operators report waiting up to 12 hours at the Port of Port-of-Spain before sailing, without structured rest facilities. For refrigerated cargo, the absence of formal cold-chain provisions during long waits forces generators to run continuously, driving up fuel costs and mechanical wear. These are not minor inconveniences. They are direct cost drivers.
The commercial implications are immediate. Longer lead times require distributors to carry more inventory, increasing working capital exposure. Trucks immobilised for up to 52 hours reduce fleet productivity and may force additional capital investment. Higher fuel consumption and port-side waiting costs raise the landed cost of goods in Tobago. Perishable goods face greater spoilage risks. Ultimately, these pressures converge at the checkout counter.
The Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association has already sounded the alarm, reporting food shortages and menu adjustments based on what is available. Some bars, it says, have shut their doors. Hardware operators warn supplies are running low, with construction activity slowing to a crawl. Even Studley Park Enterprise Limited has experienced delays in receiving bitumen from Trinidad, according to Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, who awaits a ministerial briefing.
For its part, the Port Authority states that since the Blue Wave Harmony resumed sailings on February 10, every scheduled cargo sailing has accommodated the trucks presented, with no cargo left in the terminal yard. The yard, it says, has been cleared after each sailing, with concessions made for late arrivals.
Both realities can exist simultaneously. A cleared yard does not necessarily mean an efficient supply chain. Under-utilised vessel capacity may reflect constrained trucking capacity, as operators simply cannot afford to have limited fleets tied up for days per shipment cycle.
The T&T Chamber has called for multi-stakeholder discussions involving the ministry, the Port Authority, freight operators and affected businesses to examine sailing frequency, turnaround efficiency, booking transparency, refrigerated cargo protocols, driver welfare and cost escalation across the supply chain.
This is the correct approach. The seabridge is a strategic economic corridor supporting food distribution, construction supplies, manufacturing inputs and temperature-sensitive goods. Extended lead times and rising logistics costs will inevitably erode business confidence and strain Tobago’s cost of living.
Efficient cargo movement is not a luxury. It is fundamental to national economic stability and meaningful inter-island integration. Tobago cannot afford prolonged uncertainty. The time for data-sharing, operational review and decisive adjustment is now.
