Chilean Ports Experience a 10% Drop in Cargo Throughput in the First Half of 2023

Chilean ports witnessed a 10% decrease in the foreign trade throughput during the first half when compared to the period of January-June 2022. The value of these products, measured in dollars, also decreased by 14.5%, according to data from the Chilean Maritime and Port Chamber (Camport).

According to the industry group, the decline in throughput can be attributed to a 15.2% decrease in general cargo, while the drop in value was related to declines observed in liquid bulk and refrigerated cargo, which fell by 21.6% and 16.5%, respectively.

Camport noted that the decrease in general cargo was consistent with a 15.1% decrease in full TEUs handled in foreign trade operations when comparing the January-June period of 2023 to the same period in 2022.

General cargo, Camport emphasized, represents the primary demand for Chile’s most important ports and represented 59.5% of the total value of foreign trade in the January-June 2023 period.

Cargo handled in the first semester totaled 54.5 million tonnes, with approximately 3 million related to refrigerated goods, 24.3 million tonnes of solid bulk, 13.7 million tonnes of liquid bulk, 13.2 million tons of general cargo, and 238,000 tonnes of others.

The value of these shipments was assessed at $74.5 million, marking a decline compared to the same semester in 2022.

Daniel Fernández, President of Camport, told PortalPortuario, “Foreign trade, meaning imports and exports, always depends on a country’s economic activity. As economic activity increases, more exchange occurs, especially in an open economy like Chile’s.”

“We need to distinguish between the volumes of imports and exports. In terms of cargo, it has decreased with a 10% drop in container volumes, taking us back to what existed ten years ago. However, in mining, the values are different because they depend on the production of different economic activities, and their economic value also depends on international prices. But the most significant aspect is the decline in imports for consumption and exports because other countries also have lower economic activity than expected, such as China and the United States,” he added.

Source: PortalPortuario

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