Port Radar: Chancay, new terminals in Brazil and Uruguay, restrictions in Panama

Doubts weighing on the Chancay port terminal and Chinese interference in an area outside its sovereignty re-emerged during the visit of US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to South America, focusing on the geopolitical dispute between the United States and China.

The representative of the North American country wrote a column where he attacked the Asian giant and stated that "projects backed by the Chinese Communist Party bypass Peru's legal frameworks and threaten transparency and data security."

Rubio's words are related to the legal dispute between Cosco Shipping Ports Chancay S. A. and the Peruvian justice system, a situation that originated in February 2026, after the First Specialized Constitutional Court of Lima ruled to limit the supervisory powers of the Supervisory Body for Investment in Public Transport Infrastructure (Ositran) in the port facility, based on property rights.

Subsequently, and amidst questions about a possible loss of sovereignty, the verdict was revoked by the Second Constitutional Chamber of the Superior Court of Justice of Lima.

It is worth remembering that, a few months ago, the US Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA) stated that "China's cheap money costs sovereignty." The WHA's statement demonstrated the North American country's concern about the possibility of the Peruvian State losing room for maneuver over an infrastructure considered strategic for foreign trade.

CMPC received a federal area of approximately 412.5 thousand m2 in the Port of Rio Grande, in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, where it plans to install Terminal Rio Grande do Sul S.A., a new Private Use Terminal (TUP) intended for the movement of cellulose. The port infrastructure will be built between the timber company and Neltume Ports through a joint venture.

The concession contract has a term of 25 years, with the possibility of extension for another 25 years, and will allow progress in the materialization of an estimated investment of USD 292 million for the construction of the terminal.

The ceded area corresponds to the old space occupied by the Queiroz Galvão company in the Port of Rio Grande. With the formalization of the contract, a new stage begins for the implementation of the port terminal, which will be developed as part of the logistical infrastructure associated with the growth of CMPC's operations in Rio Grande do Sul.

The initiative is part of CMPC's Natureza Project, a mega-project estimated at approximately USD 5.26 billion that includes the construction of a cellulose plant in Barra do Ribeiro and the development of all the necessary logistical infrastructure for the transport and export of its production through the Port of Rio Grande.

The new terminal contemplates an investment of close to USD 292 million and will have the capacity to move up to 9 million tons per year, considering barge unloading and vessel loading operations.

The infrastructure includes two berths for vessels and two for barges, as well as a covered warehouse of 59,000 m2, with capacity to store up to 220,000 tons of cellulose. The TUP will be developed through a joint venture between CMPC and Neltume Ports, while its operation will be managed by Sagres.

The 100% electric ferry China Zorrilla arrived for the first time at the Port of Nueva Palmira, in Uruguay. The vessel has completed 43 days of travel from the Port of Hobart, Australia.

The vessel is 130 meters long and has a capacity to transport 2,100 passengers and 225 vehicles. Its transfer to South American waters was carried out on the large heavy-lift cargo ship, Black Marlin.

Subsequently, the China Zorrilla was towed to its new destination, the Port of Colonia (Uruguay), where it joined the Buquebus company's fleet to cover the maritime route that offers connection with Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Panama Canal plans to further reduce vessel transit due to the drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon, after an initial restriction in effect since September 4, the waterway administrator announced.

The interoceanic route authority plans to restrict passage to "an average of 29.5 transits" for the next fiscal year, which will begin in October, according to a budget project presented to the Legislative Assembly. Previously, the number of vessels that can cross per day, as well as the draft, had already been reduced from 36 to 32.

The new average, however, is less drastic than that of the 2023-2024 period, when the canal was forced to reduce to 22 daily crossings also due to El Niño.

The waterway operates with rainwater stored in the artificial lakes of Gatún and Alhajuela. Its level has decreased due to El Niño, which is shaping up to be the most intense ever recorded and forced the entire country to declare an alert.

Vía Navegable Argentina (VNA) announced the formal start of its operations at the head of the Trunk Waterway (VNT). This fluvial route is a strategic infrastructure that concentrates nearly 60 port terminals and through which approximately 80% of Argentine exports circulate.

The beginning of the new concession represents a concrete benefit for users of the waterway, since -according to the company- the toll rate will be reduced by 13.5%, from USD 4.30 to USD 3.80, which could generate systemic logistical savings of between USD 375 million and USD 456 million annually for the agro-export sector, enhancing the competitiveness of the ports of Greater Rosario and the Litoral.

To this initial benefit will be added, progressively, the improvement of navigation conditions from the dredging, re-dredging, signaling and expansion tasks planned for the waterway, incorporating technology, innovation and knowledge to modernize its operation, guaranteeing safe traffic that enhances and strengthens the logistical system from the circulation of larger volumes of cargo, reducing times and costs.

The National Economic Prosecutor's Office (FNE) of Chile instructed to initiate an investigation into the acquisition of the Israeli company ZIM Integrated Shipping Services by the German Hapag-Lloyd, where the Chilean Compañía Sud Americana de Vapores (CSAV) -belonging to the Quiñenco business group- owns 30% of the shares.

According to the resolution issued by the regulatory body, the notification presented by the participants in the purchase procedure would account for a concentration operation contemplated in an article of the law.

In this context, the initiation of the investigation responds to what is dictated by article 50, third paragraph, of the aforementioned decree law, indicating that "in the case of a complete notification, the national economic prosecutor will order the initiation of the investigation and communicate the resolution to the notifier."

It should be remembered that Hapag-Lloyd has a port operator arm, Hanseatic Global Terminals (HGT), whose presence in Chile includes Iquique Terminal Internacional (ITI), Antofagasta Terminal Internacional (ATI), San Antonio Terminal Internacional (STI), San Vicente Terminal Internacional (SVTI) and Portuaria Corral.

The port sector of Colombia showed positive performance in the first half of 2026. This after a 6.8% growth was established in the total cargo mobilized and handled in twelve months, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism (MinCIT).

In the analyzed period, 66,049,000 tons were handled in Colombian ports and terminals. The maritime route reaffirmed its condition as a structural axis of the country's foreign trade, as it channeled 94.5% of the total volume of goods.

According to accumulated data until June, both purchases and sales abroad showed green numbers. Exports reached 44,502,000 tons, with a 6.1% increase, while imports grew by 8.4%, totaling 21,547,000 tons.

Despite the rebound recorded compared to 2025, the sector has not yet managed to recover the maximum levels observed in the first half of 2024, when the country reached 69,243,000 tons mobilized.

Three Colombian terminals continued to lead the country's logistics. Cartagena topped the ranking with 22,434,000 tons, followed by Santa Marta with 19,298,000 and Buenaventura with 9,040,000 tons.

Together, this trio of ports concentrated 76.9% of the South American nation's cargo. Further down the list were La Guajira (8,095,000 tons), Barranquilla (5,852,000 tons), Turbo-Urabá (1,305,000 tons) and Tumaco (26,000 tons).

The Port of Manta reaches a new operational record, by discharging 5,335 vehicles from a single vessel, the largest ro-ro operation carried out since Terminal Portuario de Manta took over the administration of the international terminal in 2017.

The MN Kang Qian Kou, a 199-meter long vessel from the Chinese shipping line Cosco Shipping Specialized Carriers, arrived from the Port of Shanghai at international pier 2 to unload all the units it transports.

This vessel is part of a new generation of large-capacity car carriers and has a dual-fuel propulsion system, which allows it to use liquefied natural gas as a more efficient fuel alternative.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, reiterated his deep concern over the escalation of military actions and threats to navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Through his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, the head of the organization expressed his grave concern about recent attacks against merchant ships and the warning of new aggressions against maritime and energy infrastructure in the area.

Dujarric emphasized the position of the head of the United Nations Organization (UN) that navigation rights and freedom of transit in the area "must be fully restored and respected in accordance with international law."

Likewise, the spokesperson highlighted the Secretary-General's call to all parties involved to "exercise maximum restraint" and refrain from hostile actions or rhetoric.

The UN warned of "serious consequences" for the civilian population, global economic stability, and international peace if the volatile situation further escalates.

"The Secretary-General urges the parties to make full use of diplomatic channels and to resolve conflicts through dialogue and negotiation," Dujarric added, noting that the leader of the United Nations remains willing to support all credible efforts aimed at de-escalation.

Similarly, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Domínguez, urged Member States to refrain from carrying out actions that endanger merchant ships and risk the lives of seafarers.

The Secretary-General warned of the serious repercussions that geopolitical tensions have on the shipping sector. In that vein, Domínguez said that "we are reaching a point where these conflicts are being used as a pretext to attack merchant ships and innocent seafarers. Do not use these conflicts to attack innocent seafarers."

Tensions in the region have intensified dramatically after a new cycle of tit-for-tat repressive attacks against tankers.