The Guayaquil-Chancay-Shanghai route, inaugurated recently, is set to reduce transit times to China to 27 days. This development is seen as an opportunity for local exporters and importers, as well as for Contecon, the administrator of the Simón Bolívar Maritime Port of Guayaquil, to reclaim cargo movement lost in 2024.
In 2023, Contecon mobilized 858,068 TEU, but this number dropped to 350,000 TEU by the end of 2024, a reduction of about 508,000 containers. This decline followed the departure of shipping companies MSC and Maersk to other port terminals.
During the route's inauguration, Contecon's CEO, Javier Lancha, highlighted the entry of Cosco Shipping Lines, a Chinese shipping company with a fleet of 1,535 ships and a capacity of 130 million tons. Lancha remarked, "We had two shipping companies that did not renew their contracts... but as I have said, I have not complained nor should I, and I do not like to cry." Cosco's involvement adds to the more than ten shipping companies now operating from Contecon.
Lancha also identified products that might benefit from the reduced transit times, notably shrimp and bananas. He stated, "Bananas, which are a star product in Ecuador and are coveted by all countries, are clearly the ones that will have a great benefit." The departure of Maersk had previously reduced banana exports from Contecon, with a 35.54% decrease in January 2024 alone.
Lancha expressed a forward-looking perspective, stating, "We neither worry when they leave nor do we applaud before time... our ambition is not to recover anything, it is to be better every day." The cargo capacity of Cosco ships will be flexible, adapting to market demands, with expectations of ships carrying between 4,000 and 6,000 containers.
The strategic alliance between Contecon and Cosco Shipping Lines is set for three years, but Lancha hinted at a longer collaboration, describing the agreement as "the first stone of an agreement that aims for many more things." Future expectations include doubling TEU numbers from 2023, targeting around 700,000.
Source: America Economia