will become the center of Latin American exports towards the Asian continent.
"Peru has enormous potential, and Chancay now falls within that potential. Due to its geographical location, the Chancay Megaport will be the hub for all exports from Latin America to Asia," Arista told TVPeru.
"Latin America exports approximately 28% of its production to Asia, and we export 38% as a country; so, this opens up a huge market," he added.
The government official said that Colombians, Chileans, Argentinians, Uruguayans and, above all, Brazilians are seeing the
Chancay Megaport with great interest.
"Brazilians export a lot of grains, soy, corn, beef, just like Argentinians or Uruguayans, to China. And where is that going to depart from? Well, that has to leave through Chancay, which is why it is important that we begin to outline the major logistical axes which lead from various places in the country to Chancay," Arista explained.
"In fact, a delegation from Brazil is arriving these days to assess how they can align with the enormous Chancay Megaport project," he added.
"What we are working on with Congress is to establish it as a Special Economic Zone, where equipment and machinery from around the world can arrive temporarily at Chancay (port), set up their production —for instance, of cars— and from there distribute throughout the Latin American continent. In other words, we aim to make Chancay the hub of Latin America," Arista indicated.
The high-ranking official underscored that "Peru has all the potential to become a country with strong economic growth. We have favorable copper prices, good prices for agricultural products like cacao and coffee, and extensive production of blueberries, avocados, grapes, and mangoes along the coast."
"Today, we have the Port of Chancay, which enables us to access a vast market, particularly the Chinese or eastern market. We export agricultural products worth US$10 billion annually. This newly-opened market for Peru is worth US$50 billion, which is five times greater," he concluded.