Bolivia wants to progressively decrease its use of Chilean ports for its exports and imports, he said. The Andean country aims also to develop river ports that will allow Bolivia ship cargo via terminals in Argentina, he added.
“Bolivia has made a decision that is going to change the regional economy in the following decade,” said Garcia. “We are, slowly, going to start to divert and move the transport of freight that came from the Pacific Ocean and that enters Bolivia [via Chile], to the ports in Peru,” he said.
Discussions between the two countries about Bolivia’s access to the sea and their unsatisfactory response prompted Bolivia to make this decision.
At present, 80% of Bolivian imports move through Chilean ports, while 61% of exports go by the same route. But Bolivian exporters say Chilean ports are closer to their commercial routes and that is does not look viable to transfer all this trade to Peruvian ports as announced by the Government of Bolivia to report on its strategy to restore a sovereign outlet to the Pacific Ocean.
During 2012, about 7,000 Bolivian companies shipped 1.9m tonnes through Terminal Puerto Arica (TPA), in Chile. These companies accounted for 70% Bolivian imports and the rest was devoted to exports to the main markets, China, US and Europe.
