There's huge potential for the development of port and logistics infrastructure in Latin America — but there are also some significant hurdles to be overcome, says Curtis Doiron, chief executive officer in Chile for DP World.

There’s “tremendous” growth in cargo volumes and demand across the Latin American trade landscape, Doiron says, but also some challenges to be faced. Chief among them is the need to invest in infrastructure beyond the ports, which are just one node in the larger supply chain.

The ecosystem surrounding ports in some cases is not as advanced and mature as that of the ports themselves, he says. Highways, rails and other aspects of the networks that connect ports with the interiors are greatly in need of improvement. The result is bottlenecks in transportation that “don’t always allow us to leverage the full potential of the ports,” Doiron says.

The problem can only be solved by working with regional and national authorities in the various countries. “We consider ourselves to be an instigator of change,” Doiron says, “one that’s responsible for trying to corral different stakeholders to match the capabilities that the ports have.”

There is, nevertheless, progress being made “to varying degrees” across the region, especially in Peru, Brazil and Chile. The last, for one, must deal with dangerous wave conditions, a problem that DP Ports has addressed by investing in a system called MoorMaster that reduces mooring times and line failures. It’s the first such installation in Latin America, Doiron says, and “has contributed to significant improvement in productivity and safety for the crews of vessels.” 

Doiron sees further potential for improvements throughout Latin America, including those that boost sustainability even as port operations expand. Several ports in the region are using electric trucks, Doiron says, and “there’s going to be continued enhancement and improvement in that sector.” 

“We think that the opportunity to continue to grow in Latin America is there,” he says, “but again, the ecosystem has to grow with us.”