Brazil's Minister of Planning and Budget, Simone Tebet, stated that these are routes that integrate not only countries, but also economies, production chains, and peoples.
The works, scheduled to be completed this month, involve dredging on the Upper Solimões in the state of Amazonas in northern Brazil, in a border zone with Colombia and Peru.
This section will connect Brazil's Amazon region with the ports of the mentioned countries, strengthening regional exchange and speeding up the flow of cargo to the Asian market, considering that China is Brazil's main trading partner.
The minister explained that the dredging of Amazonian rivers is part of the South American Integration Routes plan, which could collectively double regional trade in the coming years.
According to Tebet, South American logistical interconnection will be key for the region's more competitive insertion into global trade.
The program includes five integration routes, one connecting northern South America (Brazil, Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, and Venezuela) and another linking the southern, southwestern, and central regions of Brazil, which is the main industrial and agricultural area.
The river dredging works in the Amazon, which will connect Brazilian territory with Pacific ports in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, will be completed this month as one of the main strategic South American integration routes for trade with Asia, said Brazilian Minister of Planning and Budget Simone Tebet on Sunday.
There was a lack of customs, dredging, signage, and security at the border, which prevented the passage of many ships, the official mentioned regarding the project, which has an investment of 3.8 billion reais (about 675 million dollars) from public and private funds.
The works also have the financial backing of Latin American banks, and the results are already beginning to be reflected in the region's trade balance.
«Ten years ago, this infrastructure was precarious».
