Pedro Oróstica Codoceo.-
It is a fact that our country gave in to the advances in Peruvian international port infrastructure and logistics. This coming 2025, it will be 20 years since former President Alan García, RIP, announced to the world what is now a reality: Peruvian ports consolidated as HUBs, for the entire South American Pacific. And in Chile, strangely, there is still no clarity, nor will, to overcome this consummate geopolitical and commercial disadvantage. Issue that must be felt in the medium and long term.
In this sense and a few days ago, Diego Galindo, vice president of the Maritime Association of Peru (ASMARPE), which brings together the shipping companies that operate in that country, “explained the expectations and plans of this union, as a result of the modernization of the Peruvian port infrastructure”, given the imminent entry into operations of the port of Chancay for November of this year.
In such a way that, these companies “have foreseen the application of a new model of maritime transport from Asia to South America called hub and spoke. In this case, a mode of distribution of products and merchandise centered on the ports of El Callao and Chancay. Consequently, the vice president of ASMARPE said that the ships of these companies that come from Asia “would stop using the current route to Peru”; that is, Mexico first, then calls at ports in Colombia, Ecuador, and from there to Peru and finally to Chile. Vessels of 10,000 and 12,000 containers, 20-foot TEUs, are used on this route.
Hence, this journey will be replaced by a new direct route from Asia to the Peruvian ports of Chancay and Callao, with ships that transport 18,000 TEUs and more. This means that Chilean import and export charges, in the future, will be subject to the maritime port conditions of these Peruvian ports. Not a very understandable issue when analyzing some geopolitical variables related to Chile’s economic security in this area.
And it is here that the port of Iquique emerges, as the port in the north that Chile requires, to serve ships over 18,000 TEUs. And among other strengths it presents:
1. Natural deep water.
2. Free Zone with half a century of experience.
3.- Comprehensive connections to the bioceanic routes that integrate Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia and Chile.
4.- 540 hectares in backup areas.
5.- Real feasibility of urban space to build avenues and railways to access the port.
6.-Major international airport.
7.- Modest investment costs for dredging and docking site extension.
Let us hope that the statements about the importance of decentralization for the country have support for the regions that seek Chile to develop transversally.
