MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolivian exporters face new conditions to ship through the Chilean port of Arica

There is no rate adjustment, only usual tariffs already applied to others, Pinto explained.

The Arica Port Company (EPA) will start applying new tariffs as of Monday to Bolivian commerce, in accordance to the Service Manual in force since 2013, it was announced.

 “On Monday, August 5, the Service Manual will be applied to the ASP-B
[Administration of Port Services Bolivia]
as it is the case with the other clients.  Since there is no special agreement in force, the aforementioned instrument must be applied,“ EPA general manager Rodrigo Pinto told the media.

”There is no rate adjustment, only the Service and Tariff Manual will be applied to the ASP-B, which already applies to Chileans, Bolivian exporters and Peruvians,“ he added.

The Chilean official underlined that their Service Manual contains rates that are much lower than those of the ASP-B and in some cases, there are nearly-zero rates and in others there are sizeable discounts.

”We will always be open to dialogue, but we believe it would be more beneficial for importers that their ASP-B agent go to the port,” Pinto said.

The National Chamber of Exporters of Bolivia (Caneb) has complained that the ASP-B charges Bolivian foreign trade entrepreneurs 400% more than the TPA bills, although the ASP-B maintains that the new tariffs violate the International Treaty of Peace and Friendship signed in Santiago de Chile on October 20, 1904 to delineate the boundary through 96 specified points between Cerro Zapaleri and Cerro Chipe and to regulate the relations between the two countries 20 years after the end of the War of the Pacific.