Authorities from South America's Pacific ports have joined to form the South American Pacific port community (Copasud).

 

The president of Peru's national ports operator Enapu, Mario Arbulú, was named Copasud's president. Chile's Valparaíso and San Antonio, Colombia's Buenaventura and Ecuador's Guayaquil port are also included in the block.

 

Copasud members will exchange technical information and form a strategic alliance between the ports that move the greatest amount of cargo in South America, according to Peru's state news agency Andina.

 

The ports involved in the group form a direct route from Asia to transport cargo around South America. Peru's Callao port will become the region's hub, rapidly and efficiently distributing container cargo at a low cost, according to transport and communications minister Enrique Cornejo.

 

The Copasud initiative was proposed by Arbulú in April 2010 and was unanimously backed by participants of the second Pacific port forum in Cali, Colombia.