JAPDEVA

What JAPDEVA does

JAPDEVA (Junta de Administración Portuaria y de Desarrollo Económico de la Vertiente Atlántica) is the autonomous Costa Rican state port authority created by Law No. 3091 (1963) and reformed by Law No. 5337 (1973), headquartered in Puerto Limón. It operates the only public deepwater terminals on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast — Terminal Hernán Garrón in Limón (27 hectares, 4 berths, 2,232 TEU capacity) and Terminal Gastón Kogan in Moín (16 hectares, 6 berths, 1,200 TEU capacity, 160 refrigerated outlets) — providing 24/7 berthing, pilotage, mooring, cargo handling, storage, and ISPS-Code-compliant security services for container, conventional, refrigerated, Ro-Ro, tanker, and cruise vessels.

Beyond port operations, JAPDEVA administers approximately 132,000 hectares of Caribbean-region land, 112 km of Northern Canals, and the Canon de Desarrollo Regional fund — a regional development program financed by 5% of gross revenues from APM Terminals' Moín Container Terminal concession plus a 2.5% regional contribution (totaling roughly 7.5% of APM Terminals gross revenues), with the fund reaching approximately $69.4 million USD as of October 2023. The organization distributes these funds to municipalities, public institutions, and community groups across the six cantons of Limón province through a multi-criteria project evaluation process.

JAPDEVA's revenue model combines transaction-based port service fees (muellaje, pilotaje, amarre, atraque/desatraque, cargo handling, storage), recurring land lease fees on JAPDEVA-owned properties, and pass-through administration of the Canon fund. With 274 employees and current berth occupancy of 37% (Limón) and 75% (Moín), the organization is undergoing an institutional transformation process and has launched a Marina y Cruise Terminal development project alongside new cooperation agreements with INCOFER (rail infrastructure) and CORBANA (canal maintenance).

Name

JAPDEVA

Legal name

Junta de Administración Portuaria y de Desarrollo Económico de la Vertiente Atlántica

Website

https://japdeva.go.cr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

JAPDEVA is the autonomous Costa Rican state port authority operating the Caribbean-coast terminals at Limón and Moín, serving container, tanker, and cruise shipping lines while administering regional land and the Canon development fund for Limón province.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Port and Maritime Services

NAICS

Port and Harbor Operations (488310), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Navigational Services to Shipping (48833), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Water Supply (4941), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Maritime & Port Authorities (Public Ports, Harbors, Ferries Terminals) (BPAIALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Port Dues, Permitting & Regulatory Clearances (TLAHAFAD), Port Call Clearance & Documentation (Arrival/Departure, Customs/Immigration/Health) (TLAHAJAA), Pilotage Authority & Dispatch Services (Pilot Stations, Rostering, VTS Interface) (TLAHAGAG)

Keywords

• Port management
• Maritime terminals
• Port logistics
• Canal operations
• Cargo handling

Headquarters

HQ city

Limón

HQ country

Costa Rica

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Port Services Revenue: Fees collected for port services including muellaje (berth fees), pilotaje (pilotage), amarre (mooring), atraque/desatraque (berthing/unberthing), cargo handling, storage, and water services to vessels. Services provided 24/7, 365 days at both Limón and Moín terminals.
2. Canon de Explotación (APM Terminals): 5% of gross revenues from the Moín Container Terminal concession, paid by APM Terminals under the public concession agreement. Funds are deposited in a trust (fideicomiso) and designated entirely for regional development.
3. Contribución al Desarrollo Regional: 2.5% of gross revenues from the Moín Container Terminal concession, separate contribution for regional development of Limón province. Combined with Canon, creates approximately 7.5% of gross revenues dedicated to regional development.
4. Land and Property Leases: Revenue from leasing JAPDEVA-owned lands (approximately 132,000 hectares) under contracts of arrendamiento (lease), rights of use, or possession recognition. Managed through the Tierra y Canales administration unit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

JAPDEVA is a Costa Rican autonomous state port authority that operates the Atlantic coast ports of Limón and Moín, manages associated land and inland waterway canals, and administers the distribution of port-derived development funds (Cañón) to regional communities. It provides port infrastructure, cargo handling, and maritime logistics services to shipping lines, importers/exporters, and regional economic development stakeholders.

Product overview

JAPDEVA operates as a port authority and regional development organization managing two main port terminals (Hernán Garrón in Limón and Gastón Kogan in Moín), cruise operations, land and canal management, and the Canon de Desarrollo Regional fund. The organization provides port services including cargo handling, pilot services, mooring, storage, and security. The Terminales portuarias serve multipurpose cargo including containers, petroleum, refrigerated goods, and cruise vessels. JAPDEVA also administers approximately 132,000 hectares of land property and 112 km of northern canals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 37% berth occupancy rate at Terminal Hernán Garrón, 75% at Terminal Gastón Kogan
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• INCOFER (Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Framework agreement (Convenio Marco) signed in 2023 between JAPDEVA and INCOFER for potential cooperation on rail infrastructure that could benefit regional connectivity and logistics in the Caribbean region.
• CORBANA (Corporación Bananera Nacional)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation agreement (Convenio Japdeva-Corbana Canales del Norte) for maintenance of drainage canals in banana-producing regions of the Caribbean coast. JAPDEVA provides personnel, equipment, and remuneration while CORBANA contributes funding for operating costs and specialized equipment. Partnership maintains 112 km of Northern Canals benefiting banana exporters and local communities.
• Guardacostas (Costa Rica Coast Guard)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgreement for use of precario (public land use) by the Coast Guard for maritime security operations. Supports JAPDEVA's port security mandate and inter-agency cooperation for maritime safety.
• Municipalities of Limón ProvincecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJAPDEVA coordinates with the six cantons of Limón province (Limón Central, Pococí, Siquirres, Talamanca, Matina, Guácimo) for Canon project development. Municipalities are primary recipients of regional development funding for infrastructure, tourism, and social projects.
• INA (Instituto Nacional de Aprendizaje)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining and capacity building cooperation. JAPDEVA supports workforce development programs through INA for regional employment and skills development in the Caribbean region.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DP World: Global terminal operator active across Latin America and the Caribbean — overlapping capabilities (container terminal management, port logistics) but operates much larger global portfolio and is a potential concession counterparty.
• Hutchison Ports: One of the world's largest port operators with terminals across the Americas — broader portfolio but directly comparable container, Ro-Ro, and multipurpose terminal operations at the kind of scale JAPDEVA's terminals compete for.
• Autoridad Portuaria de Cartagena (Colombia): Major Caribbean container and cruise port — directly comparable cruise and container business but with substantially larger scale and broader cargo mix. Sets competitive benchmark for Costa Rica's Caribbean coast.

Regional players

• Manzanillo International Terminal (Panama): Caribbean container terminal near the Panama Canal's Atlantic entrance — competes for transshipment cargo with Costa Rican ports and provides a key competitive reference for container handling productivity.
• Autoridad Marítima de Panamá: Panama's national maritime and port authority — same regulatory authority role, same regional Central American/Caribbean maritime oversight responsibilities, but anchored to the Panama Canal ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Puerto Cortés (Honduras): Leading Caribbean container port in Central America directly competing for Limón/Moín's containerized banana and general cargo flows — same trade lane, same customer segments, comparable cargo mix.
• APM Terminals Moin: Operates the Moín Container Terminal under a 30-year concession that pays JAPDEVA the Canon royalty — they share the same physical port complex and are economically intertwined through the 7.5% gross-revenue payment structure.
• Empresa Nacional Portuaria (ENP) Honduras: Honduras's state-owned national port operator administering Puerto Cortés and other terminals — comparable governance, Central American/Caribbean trade focus, and government port-authority business model.
• Comisión Ejecutiva Portuaria Autónoma (CEPA) El Salvador: Central American autonomous port authority operating Puerto de Acajutla and Puerto de La Unión — same public-entity port administration model, similar Central American/Pacific-Caribbean trade dynamics, and similar regional development mandate.
• Instituto Costarricense de Puertos del Pacífico (INCOP): Costa Rica's Pacific coast port authority counterpart — same country, same autonomous state-entity governance structure, and same mandate of administering public port terminals under complementary legislation. Most directly comparable peer for JAPDEVA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@japdevacanal
• Facebookfacebook.com/Japdeva
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/japdeva

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about JAPDEVA