The change of operations announced by the shipping company Maersk from the sea port of Guayaquil – located in the south of the city – to the deep water port – in the parish of Posorje – is causing debate and concern in the more productive sectors that export their cargo and ensure that there will be an increase in logistics costs. First it was the banana sector, which estimated a cost increase of $130 per container, and now the shrimp sector has come forward, sending the country’s first non-oil-related export product.

The Danish shipping company announced that from the beginning of 2024, it will change its operations to the port of Posorje, which is managed by DP World. The shipping company, one of the world’s largest, said in a statement that “a detailed transition plan is being refined and adjusted and will be published in due course.” However, he suggested his customers contact their local sales representatives in case they have any questions.

The change of Maersk’s operations, from the south of Guayaquil to Posorje, ‘will generate additional costs of 130 dollars per container’

José Antonio Camposano, president of the National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA), assured that for export companies in his sector, it will represent an increase of $400 to move each container another 90 kilometers to the port of Posorja, which will directly affect the export sector. shrimp

“The individual effect based on the cost of moving the containers, now not to the port of Guayaquil, but to DP World (in Posorj), is $400 for each container. It is a number that is generated because it has an escort that has to accompany the vehicle that goes another 90 kilometers, the cost of the transport itself, there is a generator to connect to the unit, it reacts to many things and each company independently negotiates with the shipping company based on their needs,” he explained. Camposano.

With concern, Camposano pointed out that there is currently no advantage for the shrimp sector due to this change of operations of the shipping company from the south of Guayaquil to Posorje. He recalled that at one point there was mention of the possibility that due to access to larger vessels, the sector would gain access, due to economies of scale, to lower logistics costs, but I regret that this did not happen.

“The export sector has not noticed this until today, and therefore we see with great concern that this decision will lead to a new cost of 400 dollars for each container that now needs to be transported to the port of Posorja,” repeated the head of CNA.

He explained that it is the shipping company that determines the range of routes it offers and in that range of routes, depending on the destinations in which the exporting company operates, you decide whether to work with that shipping company or with someone else. “But it is based on the routes that the company uses, if the company largely uses the routes offered by that shipping company, it will have to adapt its logistics to this new operational destination, which is the port of Posorje. As of today, the balance of the sector is to generate a higher cost, but we do not see an operational advantage or a cost advantage to say that the fact that this shipping company decides to mobilize its operations is compensated,” analyzed Camposano.

For its part, Maersk explained that its decision is focused on its vision to become a true container logistics integrator that connects and simplifies the supply chain of its customers through global end-to-end solutions, according to a statement issued on November 22 to its clients. .

The ship Maersk will leave the sea port of Guayaquil in order to operate from Posorje from 2024

Regarding the reasons for the change in Maersk’s operations, Camposano pointed out that the shipping company “lists a number of services and advantages for the shipping company as such” in its press release. “Unfortunately, that’s half the story, the other part of the story is that those of us who have to move goods to the port will find the distance is longer which translates into higher logistics costs spread over transportation, storage, energy, etc.” , he expressed.

“There will be an impact on traffic”

Meanwhile, another problem explained by Camposano is the traffic problem that can be created on the road to the coast when a significant number of containers increase, not only of shrimps, but also of other export products such as bananas, which is equivalent to 65% of the cargo in containers moving in Ecuador, due to the type of routes offered by the shipping company.

In view of this, he welcomed the announcement by the Mayor of Guayaquil on the revision of the mitigation measures, but nevertheless warned that there will be an impact on the level of traffic. “This is a blow from one night to another, there will undoubtedly be an impact on the level of traffic, we hope that this does not mean more delays in the weather, 90 kilometers is not small,” Camponsano said.