Meanwhile, the management at the Port of Valparaíso has developed a contingency plan to relieve some of the bottlenecks caused by the dispute in San Antonio. The port is working at full capacity to absorb the extra demand from ships diverted from other ports. The flow of vessels has increased by 36%, while truck traffic is up by 28%.
According to the Agriculture Minister Luis Mayol, losses reached $85m because due to the work stoppage at San Antonio but could reach $1bn if the walkout continues. Chile’s Association of Fruit Exporters of Chile said that "The damage that has occurred during these long weeks of cessation will become irreversible for many of our partners”. This is the second walkout in less than nine months, a situation that worries authorities and agricultural entrepreneurs.
Blueberry growers claim to be the most affected by the protests with 50% of the fruit harvested not exported. “The strategy is to transport fruits by air with a truck carrying the fruit to Buenos Aires and from there is sent by plane to their destination” said producer Raul Dastres, an exporter of grapes and apples.
In the northern region, the strike that began in December, has affected copper exports in Antofagasta although some strikers at the port of Angamos have since returned to work but not in Iquique. Chile's public ports handle half of the country's copper and export about 9,500 tonnes of copper a day, according to the Mining Ministry.
Shipment of around 20,000 tonnes of copper from state-run Codelco, have been delayed, said a Codelco official with work stoppage costing $130m in December.
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