Contecon seeks level playing field

Mr Contreras told local press that he has real concerns given that, despite Contecon having invested 30% more than it needs to, it has seen some cargo transfer to other ports.

He explained that other ports and private terminals added to their existing capacity throughout 2016 prior to Contecon taking over the reins at Guayaquil in September 2017.

“The problem is that, with the increase in ports, both cargo leakage and its economic impact are already all too evident,” he says.

In his view, construction of the Port of Posorja will compete with Guayaquil, but also add to the over-capacity that Ecuador now has in port capacity provision.

“It is sometimes said that, if you build a port, cargo multiplies. That is incorrect. The only thing that happens is that the cargo becomes divided, handling activity goes down and the business is diluted,” he said, stressing that he believes Posorja will operate under easier conditions than Contecon.