The American Association of Port Authorities for Latin America and the Caribbean (AAPA LATAM) chose Brazil as the starting point for its 2025 Tour – Second Semester , a gesture that transcends the symbolic and reflects the strategic place the South American giant occupies in regional port architecture. Leading the agenda was Juan Andrés Duarte, the association’s executive president, who toured Brazil’s main port hubs, from Antonina and Paranaguá to Santos and the modern BTP terminal.

The underlying message is clear: Brazil is not only a hub for record investments and expansion projects, but also a platform for innovation, sustainability, and regional cooperation . The visit to Porto Ponta do Félix, for example, demonstrated how FTSpar’s expansion projects aim for safe and sustainable operations, strengthening the competitiveness of Brazilian foreign trade. This emphasis connects with a growing trend in Latin America: ports can no longer be limited to simply moving cargo; they must become catalysts for added value and logistical efficiency.

The port stopover at Portos do Paraná highlighted a dynamic that deserves regional attention. With investments exceeding 650 million Brazilian reals (approximately US$130 million), the port is moving toward the construction of rail infrastructure that will increase bulk cargo handling fivefold. This project is not only a local achievement, but a model of how the port-railway partnership can redefine supply chains on a continent where reliance on trucking remains an operational burden.

The tour also served to articulate political and business wills. The meeting within the framework of the ABEPH Itinerant Assembly and the participation in the National and International Seminar on Ports of Brazil demonstrated how the country seeks to consolidate itself as a hub for multilateral cooperation. There, topics such as sustainability, modern regulatory frameworks, and investment attraction were presented as urgent priorities for a region that still faces regulatory and bureaucratic gaps that limit its competitiveness.

The port’s passage through the Santos Port Authority (APS), the largest port in Latin America , confirmed Brazil’s role as a regional bellwether. Santos not only tops the rankings for cargo handling, but also seeks to establish itself as a model of governance and collaboration with other Latin American terminals. This point is crucial: without synergies between ports in the region, the growing pressure of global trade could dilute opportunities for Latin America compared to more integrated logistics corridors in Asia and Europe.

Likewise, the visit to Brasil Terminal Portuário (BTP) and participation in the sustainable ports forum organized by Grupo Tribuna reveal a discourse that transcends national borders: sustainability is no longer optional. The proximity of COP30 in Brazil provides a strategic dimension, as it places the regional port industry before the challenge of aligning investments and regulations with global environmental commitments.

Juan Andrés Duarte himself summed it up clearly: “The future of the port industry is built together, and Brazil is an example of the strength and vision we share as a region.” However, a critical reading requires a qualification: while Brazil is moving forward with robust projects and recognized institutions, many neighboring countries lack the resources, political will, or regulatory stability necessary to replicate these models. The risk is that the gap will widen and cooperation will become asymmetrical, with Brazil as the driving force and other ports relegated to secondary roles.

In this sense, AAPA LATAM’s 2025 Tour marks a wake-up call. The association seeks to “support its members 365 days a year,” but the real challenge will be turning Brazilian best practices into a regional standard. Only then will Latin America be able to articulate a competitive, innovative, and sustainable port system that goes from being reactive to becoming a player in global supply chains.

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LIMA, Peru.- Located approximately 80 kilometers north of the Peruvian capital, the new port of Chancay , a majority investment by the Chinese company Cosco Shipping , has begun operations with the ambition of becoming the most important logistics hub in the South Pacific of Latin America . Its modern infrastructure, automated design, and direct connection to Asia position this terminal as a key point for regional foreign trade, taking into account the importance that China has acquired for Latin American countries.

With an initial investment of over $1.3 billion, the project began operations in June 2025. It currently handles between 13 and 14 ships per week. It has a capacity to handle one million TEUs (20-foot containers) annually , a figure that will expand to 1.5 million with the addition of six new ARMG cranes (fully automated) by 2026.

T21 was present at the Port of Chancay, invited by AAPA LATAM , as part of its 2025 Congress, held in Lima, Peru, at the end of last June. The port complex has four docks: the first two for bulk cargo, rolling cargo, and industrial projects, and docks 3 and 4, with 860 meters of berthing line, designed for containers and operated with a fully robotic system. The terminal has the capacity to receive vessels up to 400 meters in length and 24,000 TEUs.

On the sustainable front, the Port of Chancay has been developed with a 100% electric approach . It has 15 ARMG cranes, six STS cranes, 40 autonomous vehicles, and a network of charging stations distributed throughout the terminal. Its energy consumption of 33 megawatts is supplied from a proprietary substation with an installed capacity of 50 megawatts, projected to 150 megawatts. Internal communications operate via the 5G network, eliminating dependence on conventional radios.

One of the key elements of the project is its underground logistics tunnel, which connects the entry area with the operational area, enabling efficient and safe transit. At this point, each unit undergoes automated inspections and mandatory customs scanning. Starting in November 2025, 100% of cargo will be inspected with high-end scanners donated by U.S. Customs.

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There is no professional who is closer to knowing the reality of ports than a maritime agent or shipping agent .

Representatives of this industry’s associations in Latin America and the United States met yesterday in Mexico City for their 21st Annual Meeting, where they did not hesitate to reveal the current issues at the region’s ports.

The body that brings together these associations is the Inter-American Chamber of National Associations of Shipping Agents (CIANAM) .

Although the challenges and difficulties faced by ports may be similar, each country faces a different economic, growth, and maritime development context, which undoubtedly affects the flow of international trade in various ways .

Here, we see situations such as a lack of investment in infrastructure to handle the entry and exit of goods, such as roads, port access, and equipped port terminals; as well as responsive customs and committed port authorities; and port operators with the capacity to handle each type of cargo.

The meeting presented the cases of Mexico, Panama, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, the United States, Argentina, Paraguay, Peru, Ecuador, and Uruguay , according to the agenda.

CIANAM is made up of the Navigation Center (Cenav, Argentina) , the National Federation of Maritime Navigation Agencies (Fenamar, Brazil) , the Maritime and Port Chamber of Chile (Camport) , the Costa Rican Chamber of Shipowners (Nave) , the Maritime Chamber of Ecuador (Camae) , the Association of Ship Brokers and Agents (ASBA, United States) , the Mexican Association of Shipping Agents (Amanac) , the Maritime Chamber of Panama , the Association of Shipping Agents of Paraguay (Asamar) , the Peruvian Association of Maritime Agents (APAM) and the Navigation Center (Uruguay) .

This regional chamber was founded in 2004 , after two years of work that began at the 2002 meeting of the Federation of National Associations of Brokers and Maritime Agents (Fonasba) .

On behalf of Mexico, the work was carried out by Miguel E. García, president of Amanac at the time. Since then, the country has actively supported CIANAM’s work . Today, Amanac is chaired by Fernando Con y Ledesma and directed by Miguel A. Andrade, who was also appointed vice president of the Chamber in 2023.

Mexico, host of the 21st Annual Meeting, has twice led CIANAM. In the last two years, it was led by Uruguayan Mónica Ageitos , whose term concludes this Friday. A new president is expected to be elected during the CIANAM meeting, which ends this Friday.

The objective of CIANAM is to promote the rights of maritime agents , transport and maritime trade in harmony with inter-American interests.

Undoubtedly, the latter could not be achieved without lobbying the various port authorities. This meeting in Mexico City was attended by Admiral José Barradas Cobos, Undersecretary of the Navy at the Ministry of the Navy , as well as by the head of the General Coordination of Ports and Merchant Marine, Captain Manuel Fernando Gutiérrez Gallardo; and by representatives from the Ministry of Economy (SE) , such as Alejandro Habib, Director of Business Integration Programs, and Citalli Navarro, Director General of Market Access for Goods.

The message these officials delivered focused on aligning Mexico’s maritime development strategy with the guidelines of the plan implemented by the administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum.

“During this six-year term, Mexico will not turn its back on the sea,” said Citlalli Navarro during her address, also highlighting that the federal government sees customs as “a great opportunity for national economic development, and that this will translate into the well-being of the Mexican population.”

The SE representative justified her comment by highlighting the fact that 30% of Mexico’s total gross revenue comes from the 50 customs offices , and half of this percentage is collected through the 17 maritime customs offices.

For his part, Fernando Con indicated that CIANAM intends to integrate the other Latin American countries in order to make the region more competitive with the rest of the world.

Also present at the meeting was Fulvio Carlini, president of Fonasba, who emphasized that America has the advantage of having three main languages ​​spoken, mostly Spanish, which leads to better understanding and collaborative work at CIANAM .

And while the region’s ports face multiple challenges, they have also shown some progress in recent years that has increased their operational capacity, whether through new or improved facilities.

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PSA Panama , a port terminal, closed 2024 with a record volume of operations.

Last year, the terminal handled 1,476,398 20-foot containers (TEU) on 760 vessels, achieving the highest annual volume recorded in its history, with a year-on-year growth of 33.8% compared to 2023.

“2024 was an exceptional year in which PSA Panama reaffirmed its role as a key bridge for trade in the Americas. In a challenging global environment, we worked hand in hand with our clients to provide solutions tailored to their needs, strengthening our position as a reliable partner in the regional and global logistics chain,” said Enrique Piqueras, CEO of PSA Panama.

Beyond operational achievements, PSA Panama has continued to work on sustainability issues , maintaining its operations with 100% renewable electricity for the fourth consecutive year.

PSA Panama generates just over a thousand direct and indirect jobs.

15 years of operations and new projects in 2025

Entering its fifteenth year of operations in 2025, PSA Panama is embarking on a new stage of growth with a focus on innovation, sustainability and employee well-being . Among the planned milestones are the application of cutting-edge technology and remote operation across its entire fleet of RMG yard cranes.

In addition, there are initiatives to digitalize and ensure the security of operations; projects focused on improving the quality of life of employees; and strengthening ties with universities and institutions to develop local talent.

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