Colombia He opened a new commercial maritime route that unites its main port on the Pacific with Shanghai, as a sample of the “strengthening”From relations with China in the midst of diplomatic tensions with USA.
“Colombia and China agree Maritime Route that connects Shanghai with Buenaventura (southwest)”, Wrote on Thursday on the X network the Ministry of Commerce of the South American country.
It is expected that thanks to this agreement, the merchandise that starts from Buenaventura Make a stop at the Peruvian port of Chancay, financed by China, before traveling to the Asian giant.
The Beijing Ambassador to Bogotá, Zhu Jingyangcelebrated in X this “Good news“For commercial relations.
In charge of the project is the titan of the Chinese world maritime trade Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO).
The Minister of Commerce of Colombia, Luis Carlos Reyeshe described it as “A great step in strengthening relationships“Between both nations.
Coffee for China
The general director of the BUENAVENTURA PORT SOCIETY, Liborio CuéllarHe said that this is a great opportunity to export coffee, since there is a great connection with Asia. “Before, we dreamed that the Chinese took a Colombian coffee rate per year, today there are no limits”He said.
Cuéllar He highlighted the longevity of this agreement that will link Shanghai and Chancay, passing through Buenaventura. “This contract is signed for a year, but is signed for a lifetime. Cosco came to stay”He said. He also talked about the impact for the region. “It is not just that Cosco brings greater load, it is support for the region and the country. ”
This strategic alliance is going to assume to the Port Society of Buenaventura an increase of 10,000 TEU (acronym for the English term twenty-foot equals unit, which means unit equivalent to twenty feet) weekly as a future projection, according to estimates of William AngaritaDirector of Terminal Infrastructure Projects.
This figure represents an increase in operations between 10% to 15%, with a range of between 300 to 800 TEU per operation. A boat will come per week from the shipping company, every Sunday.
“Today is a very important day for Buenaventura, Colombia and Cosco Shipping Lines. We want to celebrate this beginning together“, said Wang MinghuiGeneral Manager of Cosco Shipping Lines Colombia. “Before this alliance, we already had 13 routes in Colombia”He added.
Tensions in another front
The trade agreement occurs just when Colombia It maintains tense relations with the United States.
On January 16, President Gustavo Petro refused to allow the entry of US military planes that took hundreds of deported Colombians on board.
The American president Donald Trump responded by imposing tariffs of up to 50% of Colombian products.
Petro applied the same measure in the middle of a crisis that lasted a few hours and was appeased after an agreement between the White House and Colombian diplomacy on the deportation of irregular migrants.
Despite the normalization of relations, the unions in Colombia still fear punishments in the United States.
Petro insists on constantly criticizing Trump And he recently accused him of defending a “fascist thesis” to the “criminalize”To Latin Americans without documents that arrive in the United States.
The United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, Visit Central America and one of its objectives is to stop the “influence”China in the region.
With information from AFP and the Republic of Colombia (Ripe)
Source: Gestion
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