Port business in Ecuador is experiencing important developments. The first ship of the Danish shipping company Maersk docked this Wednesday, December 6, in the Dubok port of Posorja, managed by DP World.

It is about the ship Maersk Edmonton, with which the shipping company, one of the world’s largest companies, is improving the start of operations at that port terminal after announcing the transfer of operations from the sea port of Guayaquil to the port of Posorja, but from the beginning of 2024.

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

The decision to relocate the business, according to Maersk’s official statement, focuses on its vision to become a true container logistics integrator that connects and simplifies the supply chain of its customers through end-to-end global solutions. This was included in a statement it sent to its clients on November 22.

In that statement, the shipping company informed its clients that the services currently arriving at Contecon Guayaquil, which covers the corridors of Ecuador to and from Europe, Ecuador to and from Asia and Intra America, will start arriving at the DPW Posorja terminal in early 2024.

Sectors calculate additional costs due to changing shipping companies

The change provoked reactions from various sectors, such as the banana and shrimp sectors, which began to calculate the additional costs that would represent moving their cargo now to Posorje instead of the seaport of Guayaquil, located in the south of the city.

From the banana sector, the country’s second non-oil export product, an additional cost of $130 per container is projected, which represents $0.12 more per box of exported bananas.

Another 90 kilometers of travel to the Posor port of shrimp will cost an additional 400 dollars per container

According to sector figures, Maersk is the second shipper that transports the most cargo of bananas from Ecuador to the world with 61.3 million boxes from January to October (28.38%), after MSC, which took them out of the country in that period. 69.3 million boxes of bananas (23%) of total fruit exports. Unirreefer is the third transporter for this fruit with 44.4 million boxes moved (14.76%). CMA CMG is in fourth place with a 13.29% share. Followed by Hapag Lloyd (9.16%), Pormar (4.73%), Lasa-Seatrade (4.17%), Hamburg (3.15%), Marglobal (2.41%) and Cosco (1.03%) ).

While the shrimp sector – the first in oil-free exports – calculated additional costs at $400 per container. José Antonio Camposano, president of the National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA), assures that this increase represents a journey of 90 additional kilometers to the port of Posorja, which will directly affect the shrimp export sector.