Beyond the port's 2025 operating milestones, 2026 brought concrete new developments: a railway contract award, a regulatory process, the first full-year financial results, and intensified international media coverage over Chinese involvement.
What happened in 2026
- January 2026: PowerChina was awarded the contract to build the Chancay–Sierra Central railway corridor (120 km, US$420 million).
- February 2026: the U.S. administration expressed concern about Chinese influence at the port, drawing coverage from CNN and other international outlets.
- March 2026: the port reported a US$11 million loss in its first full year of commercial operation, despite moving over 500,000 TEU.
- Throughout the year: Peru's regulator OSITRAN advanced its process to evaluate port tariffs, following an Indecopi report on non-competitive conditions.
Still unresolved
Phase 2 of the Megaport (an additional US$2.5 billion in investment) remains conditional on 2025-2026 cargo volumes, and the legal debate over whether OSITRAN can regulate Chancay as a private port remains open.
Frequently asked questions
- What was the biggest Chancay Port milestone of 2026?
- The January railway contract award to PowerChina, and the port's first full-year financial report in March.
- Is the port still losing money?
- Its first full year of commercial operation closed with an $11 million loss, despite solid operational growth.
- What is still being decided this year?
- OSITRAN's tariff regulation process and confirmation of when Phase 2 begins.