Caucedo joins shipping route from Florida and expands cargo options on the Dominican south coast

Importers and exporters moving goods between South Florida and the Dominican Republic will have a new logistics alternative with the addition of the port of Caucedo to the maritime service of Accordia Shipping, represented in the country by Henríquez & Asociados, which has been connecting Port Everglades with Santo Domingo (Sans Souci) since 2023.

The expansion will allow the line to operate with two ports on the Dominican south coast, Caucedo and Santo Domingo, increasing cargo reception and distribution options according to the location and logistical needs of each client.

The start of operations in Caucedo is scheduled for October, with an estimated transit time of approximately three days. Initially, the service will have a weekly frequency to Sans Souci and a biweekly frequency to Caucedo.

Accordia Shipping offers container and roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) shipping services from the United States East Coast to the Caribbean. In the case of Sans Souci, the RoRo (roll-on/roll-off) operation allows vehicles, machinery, and other equipment to be loaded and unloaded via ramps, reducing certain dock handling operations.

The expansion of the service was announced by Marco Henríquez, general manager of Henríquez & Asociados, general agent for Accordia Shipping in the Dominican Republic, during a cocktail event with executives from the shipping line, importers, exporters, freight forwarders, and representatives linked to the sector.

Henríquez explained that Accordia Shipping has been serving the Dominican market for three and a half years and that the incorporation of Caucedo represents an expansion of its port coverage and its options for cargo transport.

For his part, Daniel Morales, commercial director of Accordia explained that the incorporation of Caucedo responds to the vision of its president Lousder Jacques to expand the coverage of Accordia Shipping in the Dominican Republic and offer greater flexibility to clients.

“After three and a half years serving this market, we have recorded the transport of more than 40,000 units, which confirms the importance this route has acquired for our operations,” he expressed.

With the new scale, they aim to reach about 80 annual visits from their vessels, as well as maritime exports to Haiti. “This expansion strengthens our connection with South Florida and allows us to more efficiently serve different logistics and distribution areas of the country,” stated Daniel Morales, from Accordia Shipping.

Henríquez also highlighted the relevance of South Florida as a trade corridor for the Dominican Republic and pointed out the weight achieved by the exchange of goods through Port Everglades, one of the main U.S. maritime connection points with the Dominican market.

For the executive, the incorporation of Caucedo expands the logistics planning possibilities for companies.

“A second stop on the south coast allows for scheduling unloading closer to the final destination of the cargo. Caucedo possesses extensive port and logistics infrastructure, while Sans Souci maintains the advantage of its proximity to the main commercial hub of Santo Domingo,” he noted.

Port expansion and greater connectivity

The new port call occurs during a period of growth in Dominican port activity. According to the Dominican Port Authority, national container movement increased from approximately 1.8 million to 2.4 million TEUs, while cargo handled rose from 29 million to nearly 40 million metric tons, as part of a process of expansion and modernization of the country’s port infrastructure.

Caucedo constitutes one of the main engines of that expansion. The terminal closed 2025 with a record of 1.76 million TEUs, compared to 1.71 million in 2024, driven by increased transshipment activity, the strengthening of maritime connections in the Americas, and flows associated with nearshoring.

DP World is also developing new investments aimed at expanding the port, logistics, and storage capacity of Caucedo, as part of positioning the Dominican Republic as a regional platform for manufacturing, distribution, and trade.

Greater resilience in a volatile maritime market

The expansion occurs in an international scenario characterized by greater volatility in maritime transport. The Review of Maritime Transport 2025 by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) warns that geopolitical tensions, route diversions, and shifts in international trade patterns have increased costs and reduced the predictability of supply chains.

In that context, having regular services and more than one destination port expands the users’ alternatives and provides responsiveness to congestion, contingencies, or changes in distribution needs.

The incorporation of Caucedo thus adds to the process of expanding the maritime infrastructure and connectivity of the Dominican Republic, at a time when the country is seeking to consolidate its position as a logistics and commercial hub for the Caribbean.

About the companies

Accordia Shipping offers RoRo maritime services and dry and refrigerated container transport between the east coast of the United States and various Caribbean markets. The company operates from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and maintains within its network the connection between Port Everglades and Santo Domingo.

Henríquez & Asociados is a logistics operator that offers transportation, warehousing, inventory management, cross docking, distribution, and foreign trade services. The company, operating since 1980, acts as the general agent for Accordia Shipping in the Dominican Republic.