Argentina to reinforce use of locally flagged vessels

Argentina is to introduce a new series of measures to make it difficult for Paraguayan traffic to make effective use of the Paraguay- Paraná inland waterway system. This could come in the form of specifying that cargo has to move by Argentinian built and flagged vessels, adding to the fact that Argentina is already making it virtually impossible for barges using the waterway network to transship cargo in Uruguay, something that has already benefited the port of Buenos Aires.

The government in Argentina is already suggesting that other countries will be asked to contribute to the development of the inland waterway system, which already handles grain and mineral traffic from Paraguay, Bolivia and central Brazil. It will also introduce measures that ensure Argentina benefits from the movement of barges. In its defence, Argentina points out that it already undertakes strategy, provides signalling and other control of equipment, which benefits both Paraguayan and Brazilian waterborne traffic.