APM Terminals will invest $550 million to expand Peru’s key maritime gateway, the Port of Callao, beginning in January, the company’s Peru unit chief commercial officer, Fernando Fauche, announced on Wednesday.
The two-year expansion project is aimed at significantly boosting operational capacity, raising the terminal’s handling capability to 24,000 containers. The upgrade comes at a strategic time as Callao positions itself as a major Pacific hub for Asian imports.
The announcement coincided with an event celebrating the launch of direct shipping services from Asia, which began arriving at Callao in November. These new routes from China and South Korea have reduced transit times to approximately 23 days, strengthening Peru’s trade connectivity with key Asian markets.
Fauche noted that early demand has been strong, with initial shipments including retail goods from Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Temu, and vessel space reportedly fully booked for the next six weeks.
While APM Terminals and Peruvian port authorities emphasised that the nearby Chinese-built Chancay megaport—located north of Lima—will serve as a complementary facility, industry analysts caution that both ports may eventually compete for Asian cargo as major infrastructure investments ramp up along Peru’s Pacific coastline.
