André Borges
BRASILIA, DF (Folhapress)-The Brazilian government has advanced in an agreement signed with China, to structure the viability plan of Bioceanic Brazil-Peru. Memorandum signed with the Chinese defines that state infra sa, linked to the Ministry of Transport, will be the channel responsible for articulation, data collection, environmental studies and institutional support of the project.
On China’s side, the project will be played by a technical group led by China Railway Economic and Planning Research Institute.
The plan foresees that the railroad leaves the port of Chancay, on the coast of Peru, where the Chinese have already established one of the largest ports in Latin America, and advances through the Peruvian territory to Cusco and Pucallpa, reaching Acre, in Brazil.
From Rio Branco, the rail project foresees the construction of a trace that would cross Rondônia, near BR-364, until it reaches Mato Grosso, where it is already under construction part of Fico (Midwest Integration Railway).
This mesh, linked to Fiool (western-east integration railway), would cross Goiás and enter Bahia, to end on the banks of the southern port of Ilhéus. In all, there are approximately 4,500 km of railroads in this layout.
The National Secretary of Railway Transport of the Ministry of Transport, Leonardo Ribeiro, confirmed the progress of the agreements. “This memorandum and the steps we are taking now are the result of a diplomatic and technical performance started in April between the Brazilian government and China. On our side, we have advanced a lot with Fico and Fiol. This partnership helps to move on the Peruvian side,” he said.
The rail corridor is seen as one of the largest logistics projects in the world, with the potential to reduce the load time between the Brazilian Atlantic ports and the Asian markets via Porto de Chancay. It is estimated that about $ 350 billion per year in Brazilian exports are intended for China, of which 60% correspond to iron and soybean.
“This agreement opens doors for China to effectively participate in Brazilian projects. At the end of the day, this work will give even more security to attract new investments,” said Leonardo Ribeiro.
As Folha showed, the Chinese began to survey Brazil’s logistics concessions to analyze the possibility of entering rail projects, as well as ports, waterways and highways, repeating a movement that have already consolidated in the electricity sector.
A number of meetings and bilateral meetings have been held in recent months, including presidential visits between Brazil and China and constant trips from technical teams from both countries.
In May, a delegation of 11 Chinese authorities made field visits to works such as the Fico and Fiol railroads, which are expected to cut Brazil from east to west, interconnecting the producing area of Mato Grosso grain to the Bahian coast in Ilhéus.
The Chinese group also passed the port of Santos, which is close to auction of its new container terminal, expected to be the largest venture of this type ever held by Brazil.
Chinese state -owned company Cosco Shipping is a name behind Chancay’s new port complex, which is 70 km from the Peruvian capital, Lima. With a total investment of US $ 3.5 billion (more than $ 20 billion in the current price) Chancay is today the largest Chinese venture outside the Asian country. After a symbolic opening in November last year, it will start operating effectively in March.
In the road area, the integration is earlier in relation to the project that was called a “Bioceanic Corridor”, this time involving Chile. The new route will be made possible from a series of roads that already exist, as well as excerpts that undergo improvement works and small stages in paving.
The layout leaves Brazil, crossing Paraguay and Argentina, until it reaches Chile. A bridge, which will connect Porto Murtinho (MS), in Brazil, Carmelo Peralta, Paraguay, is the main work of the project, and is being carried out by Itaipu Binacional, in agreement with Paraguay.
The crossing is in the construction phase and, according to the Minister of Planning and Budget, Simone Tebet, will be completed in May 2026. Another 200 km of paving are underway in the Paraguayan territory and should be paved by December next year, although paving is expected to be completed before that.
With these two developments, the road corridor will be made possible, according to Tebet, interconnecting the Brazilian ports of the Southeast and Southern Brazil, in the Atlantic, to the ports of Chile, in the Pacific Ocean.
The total extension between Campo Grande (MS) and the ports of Antofagasta and Iquique in Chile, for example, is approximately 2,400 km. Today, trucks with meat and grains that leave Mato Grosso do Sul need to go down to Rio Grande do Sul to, from there, to go to Chile, in a much larger route.
In partnership with neighboring countries, the Brazilian government has been working, since 2023, in the South American Integration Routes Program, which provides five paths of access to border countries with Brazil. The most viable and advanced connection at this time is the so -called “Route 2”, which provides for the interconnection of Peru with Brazil through the Solimões River Waterway, which forms the Amazon River.
