Callao: no to regional hub status

According to Edgardo Patiño, president of the Peruvian National Ports Authority (APN),” Hubs are those ports that handle transit cargo, whereas [Peruvian] ports and terminals concentrate more on import/export traffic, in other words, on overseas trade.”

He added that each port tends to handle a particular type of cargo and that development of this was orientated towards generating more exports and imports.

He was adamant that, “being a hub isn’t port policy. What we have to do is be more competitive – not competition [for other ports), but competitive.”

Defining ‘competitive’ he said this meant having infrastructure and a logistics chain in place that allows shipping lines and exporters to benefit from the lowest possible costs and least amount of time when transporting cargo. “This is the policy that we are pursuing,” he said.

In this respect, he highlighted work taking place to create a Logistics Activity Zone (ZAL) and pre-handling area at the Port of Callao. Here, road haulage vehicles can be temporarily held prior to entering the port, thereby allowing smoother overall road access. The ZAL is to be put out to a private concession, he revealed, within two years.