Major geopolitical and climatic turmoil,such as the drought in the Panama Canal, tensions in the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, and the war in Ukraine, has affected maritime transport, which accounts for 80% of global trade. This has made shipping less fluid and more congested in certain key ports, such as the historic port of Callao in Peru. The solution? The South American country is inaugurating the Port of Chancay, located 50 miles (80 km) from the capital. This is not just a modern port, but rather a new-generation Smart Port positioning itself as a strategic logistics hub for trade between the European Union (EU), Latin America (LATAM), and Asia. It is a port that will massively integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into its operations.
I. A Technology Hub: AI as the Logistics Brain
Chancay is skipping the traditional stages of port development, instead establishing itself as a technological giant, a Level 4 smart port entirely driven by data and intelligent automation. This creates a hyper-connected ecosystem for maritime transport players (ships, customs, trucks, and shipowners).
This port features an Info-structure 4.0, as the port uses cutting-edge technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and Digital Twins to create, for example, a dynamic virtual replica of the terminal, enabling docking scenarios to be predicted and maintenance to be optimized.
Furthermore, it involves total automation, which implies reducing handling errors , where horizontal transport is provided by 40 autonomous electric vehicles (AGVs) and smart cranes that operate 24/7 without direct human intervention.
This also indicates that security is provided by X-ray machines installed in gantries that scan moving trucks, enabling non-intrusive and rapid inspection of goods, which strengthens the fight against illicit trafficking without slowing down the flow.
This technology is not an end in itself, but the driving force behind a commercial transformation between the EU and LATAM.
II. A Trade Revolution in the EU-Peru Supply Chain
The establishment of Chancay will break down the structural and technical barriers to logistics development in Peru and the LATAM region, benefiting both exporters and importers.
This means a drastic reduction in lead time because there will be a direct route between Asia and South America, eliminating previously mandatory stopovers in Mexico or the United States, and optimizing trade routes with the EU. Transit time will decrease from 35 to 23 days, a saving of 10 days that significantly enhances the competitiveness of foreign products.
Another implication is increased competitiveness, as it is one of the most modern ports, the only one in the South American region capable of accommodating Triple E class vessels, for example, which are giant ships of up to 24,000 TEU. This allows for savings of between 20% and 25% and makes container transport costs more profitable.
The synergy with the EU-Peru Trade Agreement, where this 2013 agreement will be facilitated by the port’s optimized customs clearance and the complete traceability of traded products, meeting European standards, such as those regulating deforestation (EUDR) for products like coffee.
This supply chain optimization is just the beginning of a digital transformation in which the Port of Chancay is becoming a key player in transpacific trade.
III. The Transpacific E-commerce Booster
Chancay is pursuing a logistics strategy essential for maritime trade that will directly impact international e-commerce.
In the acceleration of cross-border trade (online sales between parties in different countries), delivery times will be reduced. This allows international platforms to gain speed, giving South American consumers a perception of local delivery times.
Customs clearance will become more efficient, instead of waiting for the ship to dock, the analysis and processing of international parcel documentation will take place during the trip, reducing processing times by 46%. A process that currently takes 3 days will be cut to 1.5 days, benefiting the flow of small B2C parcels. The port is also becoming a redistribution hub, products stored in Chancay can be transported to Colombia or Chile in just 5 days, allowing major distributors like Amazon to avoid relying solely on the Panama Canal.
More than just modern infrastructure, the Chancay smart port is a center attracting new technologies that position Peru in the middle of global maritime logistics. For the EU, it represents an opportunity to strengthen trade links for critical raw materials such as copper and lithium. However, the success of this hub depends on securing the network against cyber threats and modernizing the country’s land infrastructure (roads and railways).
Additional sources :
https://unctad.org/publication/review-maritime-transport-2024
https://trade.ec.europa.eu/access-to-markets/fr/content/accord-commercial-ue-colombie-perou-equateur
https://geoconfluences.ens-lyon.fr/glossaire/port-intelligent-vert-smart-green-port
https://www.urp.edu.pe/pdf/id/45405/n/terminal-portuario-en-chancay-
https://www.supplychaininfo.eu/smart-port/
D’origine péruvienne, je suis titulaire d’une Licence de Droit obtenue au Pérou, ainsi que d’une Licence Administration Économique et Sociale (AES) en France. Actuellement, j’effectue mon M2 AES, spécialité Commerce Électronique, à l’Université de Strasbourg pour l’année universitaire 2025-2026
