This week the problem will be discussed in a meeting between representatives of the export sector and port authorities and the Ministry of Transport.

The changes in Guayaquil's shipping business that occurred at the beginning of 2024 impact the logistics of export activity with delays of up to 30 hours to ship cargo and expenses derived from insecurity that above all affect Ecuadorian bananas, the second best non-oil and non-mining export product, which only from January to March generated exports of US$ 1,020 million to its different destinations.

This problem will be addressed this Thursday, May 23, in a meeting between representatives of the banana export sector, the Ecuadorian Federation of Exporters (Fedexpor), the Association of Private Port Terminals of Ecuador (Asotep) and authorities from the Ministry of Transportation and Public Works.

WHAT CHANGED IN PORT LOGISTICS IN GUAYAQUIL?

Four months ago, the Maersk shipping company left the Simón Bolívar seaport in Guayaquil, managed by Contecon, to call at the deep-water port of Posorja, run by DP World, and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) moved its operations to Bananapuerto, owned by Naportec.

In the latter case, delays in container shipments, insecurity, robberies and extortion of trailer drivers, caused by the congestion caused by the flow of vehicles through the area, Los Angeles Avenue (which connects to the Perimetral road) - which gives access to Naportec and the Guayaquil Port Terminal (TPG) - have been constant and cause losses to the banana sector.

“There is tremendous congestion, especially on peak days, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, the days of banana cutting. This is because an important shipping company changed to Naportec (previously it was in Contecon) and generated greater flows of containers and the problem is access to the ports, they are very narrow streets and when the containers begin to stop, the journey becomes much more complicated. issue,” comments the executive director of the Banana Marketing and Export Association (Acorbanec), Richard Salazar, concerned.

HALF OF BANANA EXPORTS LEAVE FROM THE SOUTHERN PORTS OF GUAYAQUIL

The head of Acorbanec highlights that approximately 40% of the bananas that leave Ecuador abroad do so through these two ports (Bananapuerto and TPG) and 9.77% through Contecon.

From January to March, of the 99.47 million boxes of fruit exported, 49.77% left through the ports located in the south of Guayaquil, while 27.42% did so through the deep-water port of Posorja and 22.80% for Puerto Bolívar, in El Oro.

The situation was reported to the authorities. Acorbanec, the Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador (AEBE) and the Association of Banana Exporters (Asoexpla) sent a communication to the Minister of Transportation and Public Works, Roberto Luque, on April 22.

The unions, grouped in the Banana and Platan Cluster of Ecuador, assure that delays of up to 30 hours to ship the loads have increased the cost of freight due to the waits.

This, despite the fact that the sector, different members of the private sector that are part of the export chain and the public sector authorities and Asotep launched a checkpoint , located kilometers before the entrance to the avenue. Los Angeles, with the aim of previously verifying and filtering the vehicles that have their AISV -Vehicle Entry or Exit Authorization System-. However, the measure “has not given the expected results.”

TRANSPORTERS ARE VICTIMS OF THEFT AND EXTORTION

Added to the increase in costs associated with delays in cargo transportation is the risk to which carriers are exposed, who are victims of theft and extortion.

“This additionally generates, due to the long waits, that some containers cannot be shipped and therefore are rolled (send them back), which includes associated costs for connection and generates the loss of quality of the fruit,” lamented the banana unions. .

Added to this are the protests of the population of the sector and the risk that cargo vehicles will be affected by excesses in the area.

For his part, Felipe Ribadeneira, executive president of Fedexpor, also sent a statement, on April 24, to Minister Luque, suggesting addressing the problem through coordination between the authorities and the actors in the logistics chain, such as ports, shipping companies and the export sector itself.

Following this request, the executive vice president of Fedexpor, Xavier Rosero, met, on May 10, with the vice minister of Transportation and Public Works, with the aim of structuring an action plan that addresses short and medium-term solutions to the delays in port logistics.

After that meeting, it was agreed to hold a second one this Monday, May 20, but it was postponed to Thursday the 23rd.

Meanwhile, Salazar regrets that the banana unions do not see a short-term solution, a situation that is worrying, as he assures that due to the stagnation of vehicles, drivers are victims of theft every day, and even the refrigeration systems of the containers, that keep the fruit refrigerated, are also stolen, which represents an expense of US$ 300 per container.

“The drivers, as they are constant victims of robberies and vaccinations, no longer want to go to the ports.”

Unofficially, other voices in the Ecuadorian banana sector, who prefer reservation, see two solutions to the problem: that the shipping company MSC return to Contecon or that the access route to Naportec and TPG be expanded.

TPG IMPLEMENTS PLAN TO IMPROVE FLOW AND ENABLED NEW PARKING

After being consulted by El Universo regarding the situation, TPG indicates that after various meetings with the traffic authorities and the Police, they collaborated with Asotep in the implementation of a plan to improve the flow of heavy vehicles that circulate on the access roads to the ports of the area.

“This initiative adjusts to logistical needs, taking into account the arrival date of the ships and the deadlines for receiving cargo. We are currently in the process of implementation and adjustment, considering the needs of the community and exporters, carriers and shipping lines. Additionally, to streamline flows and support transporters, we have enabled a new parking area,” he adds.

However, the terminal points out that it is not an issue of capacity but of concentration of logistical needs on two specific days and that is what is being attacked.