China's maritime trade with South America primarily utilizes the Pacific and Atlantic shipping routes, with the Panama Canal serving as the core hub. Transit time is approximately 35-50 days, and companies like COSCO Shipping dominate route operations.
I. Major Trade Routes and Ports
1. Direct Pacific Route: Departing from eastern ports such as Shanghai and Ningbo, this route crosses the Pacific Ocean directly to San Antonio, Chile, or Callao, Peru, transporting high-value-added goods such as electronics and machinery.
2. Atlantic Bypass Route: For connections to ports on the east coast of Brazil and Argentina (such as Santos and Buenos Aires), this route requires circumnavigating the Indian Ocean around the Cape of Good Hope or passing through the Panama Canal into the Atlantic Ocean, transporting bulk commodities such as minerals and soybeans.
II. Key Factors Regarding Timeliness and Cost
1. Due to drought, the Panama Canal's efficiency has decreased. In 2023, the average waiting time for cargo ships increased to 10-15 days. Some companies opted to bypass the Suez Canal, but this added approximately one week to the journey.
2. The Sepetiba Port in Brazil, with Chinese participation in its construction (expansion to begin in 2023), will improve iron ore transportation efficiency. China's new energy vehicle export routes to South America now cover Guayaquil, Ecuador.
III. New Trends in Trade Goods: Chilean cherries and Brazilian beef can reach China within 48 days via dedicated cold chain shipping lines, while return vessels carry CATL batteries and BYD electric vehicles. Peruvian copper mines have recently switched to 400,000-ton bulk carriers, increasing single-trip capacity by 30%.
Upgrades in refrigerated container technology have made it commonplace for live Argentine red shrimp to arrive in China, while 90% of lithium ore imported from South America enters China through Qingdao Port, supporting China's new energy industry. Of particular note is the launch of a direct express shipping route for fresh produce from Chile to Guangdong in 2024, potentially reducing transit time to under 35 days.
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