According to industry sources, the Mediterranean Shipping Company is launching a weekly direct service that will carry goods from the Port ofingbo in China to the Port of Callao, outside the Peruvian capital of Lima. Last year, COSCO Shipping Group, which developed and built the port Chancay, launched a similar direct route from Chancay to Shanghai, which departs weekly.

MSC is the world's leading container shipping company, whileOSCO is the fourth largest. For now the two routes complement each other: one route arrives in China in 21 days and the other in Peru in 23 days China is Peru's largest trading partner and the main buyer of Peru's leading export product, copper, while Peru buys a variety of Chinese goods ranging from textiles and electronics automobiles.

"Traditionally, goods imported from China would first arrive in large markets such as Mexico and then head south through Central America, Panama, Colombia, and would take 40 to 45 days to arrive in Peru," said Fernando Fauche, chief commercial officer of APM Terminals Callao, which operates part of Peruvian port.

Shortening the transport time between China and Peru is the main selling point of Chancay, but MSC's new route shows that the's influence is more extensive, forcing other ports to seek ways to speed up trade ties between the two countries, a move that had been considered unprofitable for a long time to Peru's relatively small market size.

The Port of Callao and Chancay are only about 50 miles apart and just a few hours away by truck and both are close to Lima.

"MSC decided that the time was right to open up a direct route from Asia," said Gonzalo Santillana, director of MSC Peru, who said the company has deployed 14 ships. "We believe the market will react appropriately because we are seeing a huge enthusiasm, and the ships really full."

Santillana said that for now, the ships, after unloading at Callao, will go to Chile to load cherries to send to, since the cherry harvest season begins in the next few weeks. But he hopes that once that season ends, MSC will open a direct route from Callao that will serve Perian exporters, especially fruit producers who could benefit from the faster route, which would allow their fruit to maintain its freshness for a longer time.

"This is just beginning of an unstoppable trend," Fauche said. "Peru will be the logistics hub of South America, and we will have more direct routes to Asia.