/Agencia Andina
Gonzalo Santillana, general manager of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) in Peru, participated in the inauguration ceremony of the Alpaca service, which establishes a direct route between Asia and the Port of Callao, aiming to compete with Chancay and its connection with Shanghai, China.
“The ships depart with this service from the coast of America with a capacity of 16,000 containers. Their journey between Callao and Asia lasts 23 days,” Santillana specified.
“It is a huge bet by the shipping company to reach Callao and depart from Lima, a decision that was made a few months ago. The route is proving to be a success due to the reception from Peru’s foreign trade operators,” he stated.
The professional detailed that the ships integrated into this new loop are receiving all types of products, which is why “the ships in this service are departing full. Three ships have already departed,” he noted.
It is worth mentioning that the first container ship of the Alpaca service to arrive in Peru was the MSC Lome V, which was completed on October 28, 2025, with its call at APM Terminals Callao.
The operation of the MSC Lome V marked the effective start of the service that connects Asia with the main Peruvian port complex, also having in its route a direct link with -at least- three Chilean ports.
Under this context, Santillana mentioned that the launch of the Alpaca service is a clear competitive response to the Port of Chancay, linked to the Chinese state-owned company Cosco Shipping Ports. “We are competing with Chancay. We should no longer only talk about the Chancay-Shanghai route, but also about Callao-Busan (South Korea), which is equally competitive,” he asserted.
The general manager of MSC Peru affirmed that the more ports there are, the better it will be for the Peruvian economy and the growth of its international commercial operations. “Currently, Peru has four excellent ports for container handling: Pisco, Callao, Chancay, and Paita,” he emphasized.
Santillana also highlighted that these are four modern terminals that perform well and satisfy Peru’s current container demand.
