Port of Arica seeks to expand 4 million ton capacity

Increasing the capacity of the Port of Arica, in addition to strengthening the logistics of the area, is one of the objectives of the Regional Government of Arica and Parinacota. The intention is to continue providing service to the Andean macro-zone with an extension to southwestern Brazil, an area of significant agricultural production that urgently requires more alternatives to transport its meats, soybeans, and fruits to the Asia-Pacific markets.

Arica is, therefore, a connecting hub that, however, depends on the integration of Brazil with Bolivia for a progressive arrival of goods destined for the east. For this, the local port will have to adapt, and that is where Governor Diego Paco wants to put the emphasis with the goal that the city and the port complex are prepared for an increase in the demand for services related to land and maritime transport of goods.

Paco is enthusiastic about maritime-port activity. "How can I not love the port? It is the activity that contributes the most employment in the region. We have to strengthen it," he said in an interview with PortalPortuario in reference to the approximately 5,000 jobs that the activity provides in a region that does not exceed 250,000 inhabitants.

What is Arica's projection and vocation for the future of foreign trade in relation to the port?

Today, the Arica and Parinacota Region has a port that, although it has a capacity of 4 million tons, we are working to increase it, because the bioceanic corridors at an international level, such as between the Beni Department in Bolivia and Rondônia in Brazil, are working to build a bridge to unite both nations in Guayanamerin. On the other hand, we see how the Capricorn Bioceanic Corridor is already bearing the fruits of that project and that vision, and in that regard, during the month of September, we are going to meet with the governor of Santa Cruz to talk about Roboré-Corumbá and we managed to generate exports to take them out through the Port of Arica. How do we imagine the city of Arica? As a strategic node of what we are promoting, we are preparing, and we must continue generating public and private investments to complement everything that is coming in the medium and long term.

You are a government official. Have you been able to discuss these issues with President Kast or the Minister of Transport, Louis de Grange, to raise these concerns of the region at a central level?

We have spoken with biminister De Grange, of Transport and Public Works, about this issue. In fact, in alliance with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the MOP, we are promoting the construction of a new international highway, which already exists for smaller vehicles but to be able to generate it under international standards for trucks or heavy vehicles. We have also met with the biminister of Economy and Mining, Daniel Mas, advancing along the same lines and in everything that has to do with work, employability, and opportunities, as long as it is within the framework of current regulations and with respect for the environment. The national authorities are very much in line with continuing to promote this area.

There are old projects to increase port efficiency, such as creating preferential access in Arica, which is also being requested in Iquique. Do you see this as possible in the short term or resuming that agenda of port transformation in the short term to also benefit the city?

Today we are working on projects to expand the port, in relation to being able to generate projects such as new accesses to the port; we are visualizing it, but from the south entrance. We still believe it is too soon to think about a new access on the north side, because it has been working relatively well in these times and the impact has not been greater. But we do see an opportunity through the Capricorn Corridor and we believe it is important to promote and accelerate projects on the south side of the city of Arica.

Are you happy with the port?

The truth is that the port generates a lot of work with more than 4,000 direct and indirect jobs. For every additional ton the port moves, there are between 1,000 and 1,500 jobs. Therefore, we are always very happy when a greater cargo generates more rotation and both imports and exports expand. From the Regional Government, we will continue to complement, fix, and allocate public funds for productive development logistics, because what we want is more work for the community. How can I not love the port, if it is the activity that contributes the most employment in the region? We have to strengthen it with care for the environment and in a good relationship with the city.

As an authority, the interest of neighboring countries in having Arica as an important ally must be very valuable to you?

They are absolutely interested. I met several governors from Bolivia who are in line with the bioceanic corridor, and several who took office on May 5 are in the same position of development, work, and employment, so they will always be available.

Is there a vision to transform Arica into a logistics hub?

Logistics is a strategic regional axis that is in force and established until 2030 and that the Regional Government, together with other institutions, in a public-private alliance, together with EPA, Corfo, private companies, Pro Chile, Sernatur, etc., is strengthening. We applaud the possibility of having Impala with an investment of around 20 million dollars with a warehouse that stores minerals and that these trucks that come and enter the region do not enter Arica, but deliver the products from outside. This is positive for the environment, for safety, for the tranquility and smells of the entire city, because that is our line, not only to continue promoting and generating bioceanic nodes and connection points, but also thinking about local security. We want to continue strengthening the bioceanic corridors with Brazil, Paraguay, or Bolivia, in addition to continuing to generate incentives and promoting the arrival of more trucks to our region, but with controlled and safe entry for all people.

As a resident of this region, you have seen the transformation of the Port of Arica. How important in environmental terms is the new operational model that emerges after the inauguration of Impala?

Within the operation and this improvement and innovation that is taking place, it not only provides more environmental safety, because the entry of mineral into the city will be through hermetic rotainers, which is very positive, but it also generates the possibility for this mineral warehouse to double its operation, because they will not only be able to remove and leave merchandise at the same time, but also generate productive development and opportunities for Chilean transporters. Foreign trucks, such as Bolivian ones, will arrive at this warehouse, deposit the minerals, and a Chilean truck will make the internal transfer in the city through these rotainers, thus generating job opportunities and is in line with what we are promoting in 2026.