New sea link drives over 50 pct growth in Shanghai's trade with Peru

SHANGHAI, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- The "Chancay-Shanghai" shipping route handled 154,000 tonnes of import and export cargo valued at 3.97 billion yuan (about 559.37 million U.S. dollars) during the first three quarters of this year, fueling a 56.9 percent year-on-year surge in Shanghai's trade with Peru to 13.42 billion yuan, according to Shanghai Customs on Monday.

Compared with the first half of 2025, when the route transported 78,000 tonnes of goods worth 1.72 billion yuan, the latest figures point to accelerated growth, cementing the route as a "new bridge" for trade between China and Peru.

Recently, the first shipment of exhibits for the upcoming 8th China International Import Expo arrived at Shanghai's Yangshan Port, having been transported from Peru's Chancay Port. The consignment consists of 764 items, including alpaca dolls and pottery crafts. Notably, this marks the first time that expo goods have been transported via this shipping route since the launch of the new land-sea corridor across the Pacific, which connects Latin America with Asia, in late 2024.

Chancay Port, a deep-water hub and South America's first smart and green port, is a flagship Belt and Road cooperation project between China and Peru, which has shortened the sea voyage between the two countries from more than a month to around 23 days, while cutting shipping costs by at least 20 percent. ■