Resumen de Transport logistics in south cone of Shout Smerica – challenges

Germán de Melo Rodríguez, Rodrigo Garcia Bernal

• This paper analyse the existing transport logistic in the South Cone of South America, for analytical purposes, the study establishes an evaluation area which has been represented by a “graph” built up from nodes and links. These symbolise the complex logistics network, hinterlands, roads, railways and coastal shipping. Likewise, the links and nodes have direction, intensity and values that the study intends to describe and evaluate. Moreover, nowadays hinterlands are not as exclusive as they were before. Consequently, most of the port systems face an extremely competitive market in offering services for international hinterlands/foreland. Therefore, this document will conclude that at least some Latin American countries establish land bridges between them. There have already been some studies about the land bridges, “Inter-Oceanic corridors” or “Integration Corridors” options in South America. The Pacific Ocean Basin and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries represent a huge market of 2.8 billion of people and generate 57% of the world GDP, for those Atlantic countries which have products to export and import from that vast area of the globe. The existence of the main industrial site of South America running from the Atlantic side of South America to the Pacific Coast, which forms an “Industrial Banana”, is the foundation of a massive demand to and from both coasts. The study evaluated the logistics system through different criteria, such as logistics, physical capacities, and economic, social, environmental and political considerations.