This was announced in a report by the Automotive Association of Peru (AAP). The logistics and services sectors would also receive large foreign investments.
Recently, the president of the Central Reserve Bank of Peru (BCRP), Julio Velarde, pointed out that the port of Chancay, which will begin operating in November of this year, could contribute up to 0.9% of Peru's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2025, demonstrating all the potential that this port terminal would bring, both for greater dynamism in foreign trade and for attracting investments in different sectors.
Along these lines, the Automotive Association of Peru (AAP) indicated that the launch of the Chancay port would attract large foreign investments in the transportation, logistics and services sectors, among others, according to a report published in the newspaper El Peruano .
According to the report "Chancay Megaport: Impacts on the Peruvian economy and automotive industry" by the AAP, not only will foreign trade benefit, but the execution of these investments will also generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs, revitalizing the economy of Chancay and the entire Peru.
The manager of Economic Studies and Statistics of the AAP, Alberto Morisaki, considered that, with this large-scale work, an enormous potential can be identified for the development of the automotive industry in activities that were not developed or that were stopped promoting some time ago, such as the case of vehicle assembly.
ASSEMBLY PLANTS
The AAP study argues that the Chancay port has the potential to significantly influence the automotive sector in Peru, as well as the entire region, from the import and export of vehicles to the possible installation of assembly plants.
“It is expected that investments will be made to allow the installation of vehicle assembly plants. In this regard, the Government's position is to promote the establishment of assembly plants in Chancay, mainly for electric cars, and to do so it seeks to attract investments from electric car manufacturers and companies that manufacture automotive parts and pieces,” the report states.
SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE
The Peruvian Automotive Association believes that a necessary condition for promoting the installation of electric vehicle assembly plants is the creation of a special economic zone, which would help generate the ideal environment for the development of this industry.
“Likewise, it is also necessary that the entire value chain required for these plants be available. For example, although Peru is a major exporter of copper (second largest producer worldwide), the capacity to produce copper cables is required, that is, to have an industry capable of transforming this raw material into secondary goods,” he says.
“In this regard, Peru has lithium reserves, as do neighboring countries with significant reserves, such as Chile and Argentina, but if the goal is to assemble electric vehicles, it will also be necessary to have an industry ready to produce lithium batteries, among other aspects to consider,” he added.
The AAP study highlights that there is already a Peruvian company with advanced technology in Peru that produces windshields for different brands around the world.
"It should be noted that the presence of assembly plants would stimulate the growth of local suppliers, especially in auto parts and components, forming an ecosystem that could boost, among other things, the creation of a significant number of direct and indirect jobs," the report stresses.
IMPACTS
The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) has estimated that one of the main impacts of the Chancay port will be the reduction of import logistics costs, which could be reduced by up to 25%.
“This could lead to the port of Chancay being used by automotive companies to ship their vehicles produced in neighboring countries, including Brazil, to markets around the world,” the AAP report said.
Cosco Shipping, the company that operates the Chancay port, reported that the terminal's capacity to handle vehicles will increase significantly, allowing the importation of up to 200,000 additional units per year.
The AAP study also projects that, when the port of Chancay is consolidated as a regional hub and this city is a special economic zone with industrial hubs in full development, the attraction of assembly plants and suppliers could lead to the development of an automotive cluster, similar to other Latin American countries, including Mexico and Brazil.
CLUSTERS
"These clusters usually bring together automotive manufacturing companies, as well as academic and government institutions related to this sector, and seek to facilitate and implement the linkage, collaboration and coordination between companies, academic entities and the government," he explains.
"The aim is to promote and strengthen the human, technological and productive capabilities and skills of companies in the industry, as well as to create the conditions for an environment that favours the comprehensive and sustainable development of the entire value chain," he added.
According to figures from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the implementation of an automotive cluster could generate investments totaling US$2 billion.
FIRST INVESTMENTS
Beyond the automotive industry, interest in the port of Chancay is already translating into the first investments in other sectors, as noted by the deputy general manager of Cosco Shipping Peru, Carlos Tejada.
He explained that in recent months the opening of a San Pablo clinic, the construction of an Aranwa hotel and the inauguration of a Plaza Vea supermarket in Chancay have been announced.
Carlos Tejada also mentioned that there are four global companies interested in investing in Peru, which are related to the technology, logistics, telecommunications and value-added raw material transformation sectors.
"They will not necessarily be in Chancay, but between Callao and Chancay, where the Ancón industrial park, the future special economic zone and the new Jorge Chávez International Airport are also located," he said.
"More than a port, we will be a port, technological and logistics cluster," he added.
DEMAND FOR INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERS
The Chancay port will boost demand for industrial engineers, who will be crucial in optimizing logistics processes, managing the supply chain and implementing advanced technologies to improve operational efficiency, said the College of Engineers of Peru (CIP).
He pointed out that industrial engineers will be able to contribute in the areas of port operations planning, warehouse management, quality control and workflow analysis, contributing to the reduction of costs and times in port operations.
He also indicated that during the development of the Chancay port, industrial engineers can manage construction projects and technology implementation, ensuring that operations are efficient and safe. In addition, in the administration of the port, they can supervise the logistics of entry and exit of goods, improve inventory management, and coordinate multimodal transport operations.
The dean of the Lima Departmental Council of the CIP, Roque Benavides, considered that the port of Chancay will mark a before and after in the history of Peru.
"We are talking about a very important port in the Asia-Pacific basin and Peru has a strategic position on the Pacific coast," he said.
DATA
- The new multipurpose port terminal of Chancay, located in the district of the same name (province of Huaral), 80 kilometers from Metropolitan Lima, is an investment project whose main shareholder is the Chinese-owned company Cosco Shipping Ports Limited (CSPL), with a 60% stake.
- The port of Chancay, whose works are more than 93% complete, will be a key maritime point for trade between South America and Asia, mainly China (Shanghai port), because it will become a regional hub that will redistribute cargo from Peru, Chile, Ecuador and Colombia.
- The construction of the Chancay port generates 1,300 direct jobs, and around 8,000 indirect jobs due to the economic dynamics already observed in the area.
- Since April 2011, the design and construction project for the Chancay port has been underway, with a total investment of over US$3.4 billion, of which US$1.315 billion will be spent in the first stage.
