/Agencia Andina
Peru seeks to compete in international markets through Private Special Economic Zones (Zeep), which upon their implementation would strengthen the development of industry, the construction of world-class port infrastructure, the negotiation of new trade agreements, and the attraction of investments, according to the Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Teresa Mera.
“These advances reflect our country’s readiness to compete in international markets under better conditions. With the development of the Chancay Megaport and its complementarity with the Port of Callao, Peru will have, for the first time, an integrated, modern, and highly competitive logistics platform, capable of reducing times and costs and connecting our productive chains with Asia Pacific, one of the most dynamic markets in the world,” commented the authority.
The above was expressed by Mera in the context of her participation in the Forum on Private Special Economic Zones (Zeep) and the presentation of the Roadmap for the Comprehensive Development Area of Chancay, organized by the National Society of Industries (SNI).
Mera asserted that, from Mincetur, work is being done to position the country as the logistics hub of the South Pacific. “This includes progress achieved through three technical roundtables for the Northern, Southern, and Central corridors; where we have managed to bring together all public and private actors that have influence on these corridors in order to have a single action plan, with a strategic and articulated unit,” she noted.
In this sense, the minister maintained that there are many challenges to overcome, but that all must be worked on in an integrated and coordinated manner to achieve a chain that is not interrupted by the lack of participation of a relevant actor.
“Today we see with satisfaction that, through the Southern corridor, cargo movement from Brazil to Arequipa is already taking place to use the port of Matarani; and to carry out the cabotage that has been activated as a result of the law approved by the Congress of the Republic and on which the public sector and the private sector worked,” Mera stated.
She added that Matarani has an established line with the Port of Chancay destined for Asian markets. “These are the first milestones showing concrete results and that we can continue to achieve if we keep working in an articulated manner,” she added.
Agreements
Minister Mera highlighted that Peru stands out for offering important attractions compared to other countries in the region: a network of 23 trade agreements in force with 58 markets across four continents, including the largest and most dynamic economies in the world.
“To this, we must add that, by the end of this year, the trade agreements with Hong Kong and Guatemala should come into force, and that at the beginning of 2026 the optimization of the trade agreement with China and the agreement with Indonesia come into force; that is, next year Peru will have 26 trade agreements in force, which constitute an additional attraction to bring investment to our country,” asserted the authority.
However, she specified that no law or agreement by itself transforms a country. “The true transformation occurs when there is a permanent, transparent articulation based on trust between the State and those who invest, produce, and generate employment.
“As public servants our commitment is total to the private sector, who put their shoulder to the wheel and invest day by day. We will provide all the conditions for their projects to continue materializing for the benefit of the country,” commented Mera.
The minister specified that the approval of the Private Special Economic Zones Law is a starting point. “It was very intense work that we all had to do together. The real challenge now is to turn this regulation into real opportunities, into new businesses for the regions,” she emphasized.
The head of Mincetur highlighted that 85% of Peruvian exports come from the regions and this will also help generate greater levels of confidence so that more companies bet on Peru. “We reiterate our total willingness to continue working jointly in order to strengthen the Zeep,” she concluded.
