The Argentine waterway toll levied on vessels crossing Santa Fe-Confluencia and Paso Queso on the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway became effective in January 2023. The fee is supposed to help fund dredging and signaling projects. The measure is not seen with good eyes by Paraguayan importers and exporters. While the measure remains in force, importers are looking for alternative options, mainly the port of Paranaguá, which has gained room in the Paraguayan market. The commercial coordinator for Paraguay at TCP (Paranaguá Container Terminal), André Frigotto, explains that “the company is the main Brazilian alternative for foreign trade in the neighboring country. One of the advantages of the overland route is the travel time: 25 to 30 days faster than by barge. Another advantage of TCP is the existence of a special Paraguayan bonded storage, a mandatory requirement for the international transport of imported cargo bound for the country.”
Sources: Mirian Gasparin/Datamar News