The president of the Venezuelan Society of Agronomists Engineers, Saúl López, and the president of the Chamber of Import and Distribution of Spare Parts of Lara (Cidralara), Elías Bessis, informed that there has been a 30% increase in the price of maritime freight costs to import merchandise from China to Venezuela.
Both indicated that these expenses are affecting the prices received by the final consumer in the market.
“A freight from China to Venezuela in December last year cost five thousand dollars, now it costs 12 thousand dollars a container. This whole international import market is very volatile, which worries us because Venezuela is dependent on imports,” commented Lopez.
“There is a shortage of containers in the Asian giant, because imports of health supplies, such as masks, antibacterial, alcohol, have tripled during the pandemic. This is having an impact on the increase of the prices of maritime transportation”, Bessis informed.
Likewise, he explained that a 40-foot container, which is the size of a trailer, with auto parts, had a price of US$ 6,400 in January, a few weeks ago it was at US$ 9,400. In the United States there is also an increase. Before I paid 2,500 dollars, now I pay 4,000 dollars, he mentioned.
Bessis said that to these expenses must be added transportation in Venezuela. The shortage of diesel fuel has made a trip from Puerto Cabello to Barquisimeto cost $700.
