By Sebastián Betancourt
Although there is great export potential from the Andino-Amazonic macrozone, which has the Port of Arica as its natural and fastest exit to the Asia-Pacific markets, Alonso Guinard, commercial manager of Cosco Shipping Ports Chancay, suggested that Chile, Bolivia, Peru, and Brazil need to think about the return cargo that must transit through the Central Bioceanic Corridor to balance the scale between shipments and imports, in order to lower the costs of the entire associated logistics chain.
Guinard, who was one of the speakers at the Nodo Bioceánico Arica 2025 event, valued the instance that brought together authorities, businesspeople, academics, and executives from the mentioned countries and stated that there is “potential.”
“There is a lot, a lot of potential and, now, what we have to think about is the return cargo, because the transporter also definitely increases the costs when there is no return issue, that is, when it returns empty, as we would say. So, we have to look for what we send over there, but also think about what we can bring back. Making this flow, this circuit, will obviously cause all logistics costs to be reduced and that will directly impact the final product,” he explained.
Guinard also stated that the Port of Chancay will be able to connect to the Central Bioceanic Corridor through Arica, which is the one that has the connection with the neighboring countries and with Brazil, which would send its production crossing through Bolivia.
“Brazil and Bolivia have this connectivity with the Port of Arica and this must connect with Chancay, because Chancay has these direct routes to Asia and, above all, because it also has these facilities or infrastructure that allows it to receive these large ships. So, with these feeders that are being made, logistics nodes like the Central Bioceanic, help tremendously with connectivity,” he said.
Guinard emphasized that Arica, although also Iquique in Chile, and Matarani in Peru, are the ports called to absorb the cargo from the interior areas of South America; that is, from the southwestern states of Brazil, northwestern Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay.
“Where can all that western part connect? It is precisely with Arica, with Iquique, or with ports also in the south of Peru like Tisur. So this is fabulous, we have to work with that and let’s hope it can happen as soon as possible,” he added.
Asked about the results of this first year of Chancay’s operation, Guinard expressed that the complex has become an “emblematic port.”
“Happily, we have -today- important records that lead us to understand that the port is, well, an emblematic port. First, because we have already reached volumes in terms of containers of more than 287 thousand TEUs. That for the first year is incredible. The other thing is that we are moving more than one and a half million, both bulk or breakbulk. So, those indicators definitely make you understand that this port is moving. Now what we have to think about is, precisely, connectivity, the port, as I was saying now, is not a port made only for Peru. It is a port made for the region. What we have to do is see how we connect with everyone so that the Port of Chancay is that hub that is the trigger towards new markets,” he reflected.
