b'4American Journal of Transportation ajot.comLATAM pandemic(BUILDINGcontinuedWorld Bank report. In othering47.3megawatts.Three from page 2) words,echoingtherhetoricother smaller wind and ther-surveyfromtheEconomiccurrentlyinfavorinsomemoelectricoperationswere recovery underway CommissionforLatinquarters of Washington, D.C.,also recently approved, total-AmericaandtheCaribbeanBrazil is attempting to building around 12.5 megawatts of (ECLAC).Asexplainedbyback better from the pandem- capacity.By George Lauriat, AJOT ECLACsexecutivesec- ics devastation. UstDaanDB razilsretary,AliciaBrcena,theIntheelectricitysector, DamageDone.WhenvalueofexportsfromLatinregionneedspoliciesforarecentdevelopmentsshowi nFrastrUctUrEP rojEctsCOVID-19 hit Latin AmericaAmericagrew8.9%inthetransformative recovery withthatBrazilsregulatorsareThe U.S. Trade and Devel-andtheCaribbeanin2020,firstquarterof2021com- an emphasis on investment,seekingtopromoteahigheropmentAgency(USTDA) the region was already reel- paredtothesameperiodinincludingindustrialpoli- proportion of green energy inrecentlyawardedagrant ing with economic and politi- the previous year.cies and technologies to drivethe nations electricity genera- totheBrazilianAssocia-caluncertaintythreateningWhilethenearly9%growthinsectorsthataretion mix. The Brazilian Elec- tionofElectricityDistribu-in some fashion nearly everygrowthinvaluebuoyedmoretechnologyintensive.tricity Regulatory Agency (intors(ABRADEE)thatwill nation from Mexico to Argen- exportnumbersforthefirstThat also means promotingPortuguese,AgnciaNacio- providetechnicalassistance tina. The International Mone- quarter of 2021, Latin Ameri- newdevelopmentpatternsnaldeEnergiaEltrica,ortoenablelarge-scalesmart tary Fund (IMF) estimated incan export volumes actuallythatreduceenvironmentalANEEL)recentlyauthorizedgriddeploymentthroughout their April2020projectionsfellbyanestimated2.2%footprints,suchastransi- 14 additional generating unitsBrazil.ABRADEErepre-that in 2019 the Latin Ameri- over the first quarter.tioningtowardsrenewableto start commercial operationssents41privateandpublic can region GDP growth wasThefallinexportvol- energy,sustainablemobil- at the Chafariz wind complex,electricdistributioncompa-flat at .02% and in 2020, withumes underscores the fragileity in cities, and digitalizingin Santa Luzia, Paraba state,niesinBrazil,servingover the pandemic in full force, fellunderpinningsoftherecov- industrial processes. representing48.5megawatts99% of Brazilian consumers. to -7.0% [-7.4% according toery. As the IDB reported, InTheimmensedisruptionof additional capacity for theUSTDAspurposeisto theInter-AmericanDevel- the first four months of 2021,fromthepandemicmaylaynationalgrid.ANEELalsoconnectU.S.private-sector opmentBank(IDB)2020thepricesofvariouscom- thegroundworkforhighergavethegreenlightforthecompaniestoinfrastructure estimates.]. According to themoditiesexportedbyLatinproductivitythrougheco- startoftestsattheJuazeiroprojects in emerging markets. IDB the -7.4% drop was the(RECOVERYcontinued onnomicrestructuringandSolarVIIPVsolarpower(BUILDINGcontinued on largest on record for a singlepage 12) digitization,notedarecentplant in Juazeiro, Bahia, total- page 6)year and was the largest drop since 1821.Eric Charles Parrado Her-rera,chiefeconomistofthe IDBwroteoftheCOVID-19pandemicsimpactonan alreadyshakyLatinAmeri-caneconomy:Thiscrisis begantounfoldascountries EXPANDING CAP Y TOplex set of preexisting condi- O ACIT Awerealreadyfacingacom- FL RID Stions, including low levels of productivityandsimmering socialdiscontent.Perhapsa fittinganalogytodescribe the situation would be that, in 2019,theregionwasflying withonebrokenengine.InDISTRIBUTION2020,itsotherenginealsoHUBtook a hit.Therewereamultitude ofreasonsfortheCOVID-19pandemicsinordinately painfuleffectontheecono-miesofLatinAmericaand the Caribbean. From a macro-economicviewpoint,the structure of the economiesheavily dependent on tourismNo congestion Expanded terminal capacity with plenty of or commodity exportsmaderoom for growththemmorevulnerablethan400 million SF of distribution center spacecountrieswithmoremixedE-commerce, consumer goods, perishablesMultiple round-trip truck deliveries per day commercialeconomies.Forand building materials from Port to DCexample,commoditybasedNew and expanded container services with economieslikeArgentinaOne of the hottest industrial real estateCentral America, Mexico and Asiaand Peru were hit hard, theirmarkets in the U.S.respective GDPs down -10% and -11.1% according to IMF figures. Of course, there were manyotherreasonsforthe catastrophesomeinternal and others global. Mexico, forWWW.PORTTB.COMinstance,evenwithastrong manufacturingbasesawits 2020 GDP shrink-8.2%, as the U.S. auto industry tanked and took its USMCA (replace-ment to NAFTA) trade part-ner down with it.t raDEoFFs : t hE2021 r EBoUnDDespitetheseriouseco-nomicdamagedonebythe pandemicin2020,Latin Americareboundedin 2021,asinternationaltrade pickedupandcommodity pricesincreased.Therally waslargelyledbyexports. AccordingtotheIDB,the'