Chancay Port rides a new trade current

For Santos Javier Gonzales, the deep-water mega port taking shape in his hometown of Chancay, Peru, has become part of his own story — enabling him to build a career without leaving his family behind.

Starting over five years ago, the 32-year-old Chancay native moved through several roles on the project since its construction began, first in logistics then barge operations.

After the port's first phase was completed in 2024, he joined COSCO SHIPPING Ports Chancay Peru S. A., a joint venture between a Chinese shipping group and a local Peruvian company.

He initially worked as a driver before transferring to the Operations Department, where he now serves as a coordinator overseeing the daily flow of cargo at the terminal.

Each role has brought new experiences and opportunities for personal growth, Gonzales said.

"During my continuous adjustments in positions at Chancay Port, I gradually developed and improved important abilities in teamwork: a sense of responsibility, communication and coordination, organization and management, and the implementation of safety regulations," he said.

The career progression has also significantly improved his family's daily life. Last year, Gonzales bought a larger home for his family.

At work on the docks, he sees the port's expansion unfolding around him, with more vessels calling at the increasingly bustling terminal and trucks shuttling back and forth.

In the first eight months of this year, Chancay Port handled more than 290,000 20-foot equivalent units, up 55 percent year-on-year, according to data from its operator.

The growth has been accompanied by an expanding network of shipping services. In July, the Chancay Express Service 3 feeder service was launched, with weekly sailings linking Peru's Paita and Chancay ports with Costa Rica's Caldera Port.

On Sept 2, the first consignment of 19.6 metric tons of fresh Peruvian bananas arrived in Shanghai via the Chancay-Shanghai shipping route, marking the first entry of the bananas into the Chinese market after China approved market access in December.

"The newly launched Chancay Express Service 3 feeder service has become a key route for high-quality Latin American fresh fruits to reach the Chinese market, strengthening the fresh fruit supply chain," said Ma Ling, deputy general manager of the Banana Division at Goodfarmer, the importer of the first container.

"The route enables produce from northern Peru and Costa Rica to be shipped weekly from nearby ports to Chancay, where it can connect with the direct trunk line to China," she said.

Launched in late 2024, the Chancay-Shanghai route cut sea transit time from 35-40 days to 23 days and reduced logistics costs by more than 20 percent.

"The shorter transit time makes banana quality easier to control, as each additional day increases the risk of over-ripening," Ma said.

The port now operates three trunk routes linking Asia with Peru and five feeder services along the Pacific coast of South and Central America.

"The port's growing reach is positioning Chancay as a potential logistics hub serving countries along the Pacific coast of South America," said Guo Cunhai, director of the Department of Social and Cultural Studies at the Institute of Latin American Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"Chancay Port does not merely add a new logistics node. More importantly, it offers a new supply chain alternative to traditional routes through North America and the Panama Canal," he said.

Beyond global trade, the port is also bringing tangible benefits to local communities.

The Chancay Port project created nearly 10,000 jobs during its first phase of construction, with Peruvian employees accounting for 75 percent of the workforce, Chinese Ambassador to Peru Song Yang said at a June ceremony marking the anniversary of the port's commercial operations. Their share has since risen to more than 98 percent, he added.

At the ceremony, Fabiola Morales Castillo, deputy mayor of Lima, called Chancay Port "a port of the future", saying it offers major development opportunities for the region and is "one of the most important investments in Peru in recent decades".

Antonio Jose Pagan Sanchez, a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for China and Asia-Pacific Studies at Universidad del Pacifico in Peru, cited the need to meet high expectations. As a flagship Belt and Road Initiative project, it has the potential to further deepen trade ties between Peru and China — Peru's largest trading partner and foreign investor, he said.

On the broader policy environment, Pagan Sanchez said he had not "perceived any significant change in the new Peruvian government's approach" to the port.

Looking ahead, Guo said future infrastructure cooperation should be "high-quality", with Peru aligning development strategies and integrating infrastructure with industrial development, local employment and social governance.

For Gonzales, the port's expansion is ultimately tied to the future of the city where he grew up. "I hope that this development will not only benefit those who work at the port, but also more families in Chancay," he said.

Ma Yibin in Beijing contributed to this story.