Port of Chancay: Ecuador prepares to take advantage of infrastructure in Peru

Ecuador's Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries, Sonsoles García, gives an overview of the opportunities that the neighboring country sees a few months before the start of operations at Chancay.

The port of Chancay, which will begin operations in November, generates expectations in Peru, but also in the economies of the region. This, for example, is the case of Ecuador. Gestión spoke with the Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries of Ecuador, Sonsoles García, to find out the expectations generated by this port infrastructure.

“The port of Chancay will represent a better connection with Asia in less time. That is the proposal and the promise. Let us not forget that (at this moment) Ecuador has the closest point of South America to Asia, we have the Deep Water port. Therefore, we expect a good logistical connection between both ports. With that, trade between South America and Asia will be deepened,” she told Gestión.

For García, the products that Ecuador could send through Chancay are mainly shrimp and bananas, as they stand out among its exports to China.

“Ecuador is the fourth or fifth exporter of bananas to China and the first supplier of shrimp in the Asian country, after Chinese shrimp. Ecuador supports more than 70% of the shrimp market in China. Being able to have the Ecuadorian product in less time, that will help us to be more competitive in rates, and above all in covering the need of the final consumer to be able to have the product at the moment,” he pointed out.

Last February, it was learned of the arrival of Ecuadorian businessmen from sectors such as international logistics. The key will be in cabotage. Thus, products could be transported from Aguas Profundas to Chancay.

“The companies that came are logistics companies. They seek to understand how the internal logistics part will be because at the end of the day there will be a great deal of cabotage between the port of Aguas Profundas and Chancay. For us, being able to do cabotage between Ecuador and Peru would be perfect,” he said.

It should be remembered that last May, the plenary session of the Peruvian Congress approved the project that modifies the Cabotage Law. The proposal presented by the Executive Branch proposes modifying article 4 of Legislative Decree 1413 in the following terms: “The maritime cabotage traffic of passengers and cargo is carried out by a natural person or legal person incorporated in Peru or abroad, with capital stock of national or foreign origin.”

That is, now foreign ships will be able to transport goods between national ports, since the original law only allows maritime cabotage to be carried out by companies incorporated in Peru.

“Today I could say that, beyond logistics, the main products that leave South America for Asia are agricultural and fishing products. Ecuador exports more than US$ 4,000 million of aquaculture products to China. Being able to shorten the time from 45 days through the port of Chancay would be incredible. That will be the objective of Ecuadorian products," he said.