Maritime
Contecon
Guayaquil moves
to strengthen
supply chain;
Guayaquil logistics
community
launched
M
International Container Terminal Services, Inc.’s (ICTSI) largest port concession in the
Americas, Contecon Guayaquil SA (CGSA) and Ecuador’s top business firms team up towards
improving the competitiveness of the country’s supply chain through the formation of the
Comunidad Logística del Puerto de Guayaquil (CLPG). (From left) Guillermo Rosenney, RSA
Insurance chairman; Guillermo Lasso, Bank of Guayaquil senior vice president; Vincente Wong,
Reybanpac chief executive officer ; Angelo Caputi, Bank of Guayaquil executive president;
and José Antonio Contreras, CGSA chief executive officer
ore than just moving goods, Contecon
Guayaquil SA (CGSA)—the Ecuadorian unit
of International Container Terminal Services,
Inc. (ICTSI)—has taken the lead in uniting
stakeholders towards boosting the supply
chain through the creation of the Logisitics
Community of the Port of Guayaquil
(Comunidad Logística del Puerto de
Guayaquil), aimed at improving the competitiveness of Ecuador
businesses in foreign trade.
The first port logistics community in Ecuador and the entire
region, CLPG serves as a platform for businesses with connections
to the Port of Guayaquil in bringing research-based, technical
solutions to optimize logistics capabilities within the supply chain.
“As the leading maritime gateway of Ecuador, we are working
hard towards the creation of a community that is representative of
the needs and interests of the port community. This collaborative,
innovative and pioneering framework in the region will allow us to
improve and optimize the supply chain and processes of importers
and exporters operating in the Port of Guayaquil," says José Antonio
Contreras, CGSA Chief Executive Officer.
With greater logistics collaboration, businesses will be able to
maximize the commercial potential of Ecuador’s top commodities,
while reducing costs at the same time.
“The creation of the Logistics Community of the Port of Guayaquil
creates a unique vehicle to maximize opportunities for growth,”
Contreras adds.
The members of the logistic community, companies and business
organization, represent more than 83 percent of Ecuador´s non-oil
exports. The most important in volume is the banana, which
represents 63 percent of the non-oil exports of the country.
Those supporting the needs of Ecuador’s top exports–bananas,
shrimps, paper and wood products–are already members of the
logistics community: Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador
(AEBE), Agzulasa, Reybanpac, Industrial Pesquera Santa Priscilla,
Ecuadorian Association of Teak and Tropical Wood (ASOTECA),
Multiteak, Papelera Nacional SA, Soprisa, and Procarsa.
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Banco Guayaquil and RSA Insurance, the largest financial service
networks in Ecuador, are also part of this new initiative.
Julio Mackliff, Vice President of Banco Guayaquil, lauded the
impact of the new logistics community towards improving the
competitiveness of Ecuador businesses: “CLPG is an emblematic
and innovative project in Ecuador. Banco de Guayaquil is not only
supporting this initiative but is and will continue to be an active
member. We are convinced about the positive results that this
union of big companies will contribute for the economic and social
development of our country.”
Eduardo Ledesma, Executive Director of AEBE adds that the
collaboration between and among different supply chain
stakeholders ensures that the country stays on top as the
world’s largest banana exporter: “The opening and approach
of Contecon Guayaquil to the export sectors of Ecuador has been
seen and is perceived with optimism. We, the banana exporters, see
with good eyes that this initiative will allow us to reach competitive
improvements for the sectors.”
Contecon Guayaquil, ICTSI’s largest port project in Latin America,
recently made strides towards greater trade facilitation, supporting
the local economy through various investments in port infrastructure
and technology.
Recently, CGSA expressed support for the government’s construction of a
44.2-kilometer road connecting Guayaquil Port with the south-central
areas of the country´s coast and the country’s highlands.
In July, CGSA was likewise approved by the Ministry of Transport
and Public Works to handle up to 305-meter mega vessels, essentially
becoming the first and only container terminal in Ecuador capable
of handling two mega vessels simultaneously.
This follows the inauguration of the terminal’s new greenfield
development in January—an expanded logistics support area
capable of handling more than 6,000 containers.
ICTSI has already invested USD325 million for its 20-year concession
period to operate the Guayaquil Container and Multipurpose Terminals
at the Port of Guayaquil, which will end in 2027.
www.ictsi.com