Chile’s Port of Arica, along with the American Association of Port Authorities, is set to host the biggest port event in the last 20 years, gathering together officials from major port terminals from South and Central America, the U.S. and the Caribbean to discuss key industry issues.
The Congress, which will take place Nov. 30 to Dec. 3 under the motto “Sustainability and Port Development in Latin America,” will have more than 40 speakers from 25 countries in the port industry that will discuss challenges and new projects to ensure competitiveness and efficiency.
Francisco Javier González, president of the Port of Arica, said, “Sustainability is a topic that fully identifies with the Port of Arica, since we have been recognized for our work done to safeguard the environment and this event will be key to further progress in this area. ”
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So far, over 250 port executives, presidents and port managers have confirmed their presence for this year’s Congress, while 74 port companies will present main industry developments. Among the key issues in the sector are the need to handle megavessels being built, environmental concerns, fuel costs and consolidation among ocean freight carriers.
In addition, the near completion of the major expansion of the Panama Canal and the planned rehabilitation of the Suez Canal will create shifts in trade routes and shipping strategies for which the ports must react.
Already confirmed are all Chilean ports and international ports such as Miami; Long Beach, Calif.; Corpus Christi, Tex.; Buenos Aires; Bahía Blanca, Argentina, and terminals from Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador and Uruguay.
“We have high expectations for this year’s Congress, for which we have confirmed the presence of the Minister of Transportation, Andrés Gómez-Lobo, and the Minister of Public Works, Alberto Undurraga, who will address topics that are of great interest to our country’s port industry,” added González.