The port terminal built in Peru with capital from the Asian giant is in the sights of port administrations in Chile and also with the attention of the authorities.

Chinese President Xi Jinping traveled to Peru in recent days to inaugurate the mega port of Chancay, an activity that also took place in the midst of APEC.

A port terminal built with capital from the Asian giant that is in the sights of port administrations in Chile and also with the attention of the authorities.

This is due to the increased competition that this inauguration could entail for national maritime facilities.

CHILEAN MINISTERS SEE IN THE PORT OF CHANCAY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DEVELOPMENT

When consulted, the Minister of Economy, Nicolás Grau, said that Chancay, rather than a threat, represents an opportunity for port development in Chile: “It is a complementary effect, it will even strengthen the articulation that we can make with national ports.”

He also assured that this logistics branch is expanding. “For example, strengthening the port of San Antonio with a very ambitious project, which is not our administration, but has been underway for more than 10 years, is an initiative that is several times what has been inaugurated in Peru,” said Grau.

Agriculture Minister Esteban Valenzuela was asked about the concerns of fruit producers regarding the operation of Chancay in Peru.

He said that in the country on our northern border there are important Chilean investments that will use the Peruvian port and that there is coming a boom in exports of Chilean fruits and vegetables from national ports, which could exceed US$ 7 billion.

“To give you an idea of the scale: the forestry and agricultural sector is around US$5 billion, salmon US$5 billion. Fruit alone is more than US$7 billion,” said Minister Valenzuela.

Authorities have called on investors, importers and exporters to remain calm in the face of port development in northern Chile.

However, they hope that Chilean ports will be able to improve the efficiency of their procedures.