A new Argentinian waterway toll for vessels has been implemented in the stretch between Confluencia Santa Fe and Paso Queso, on the Paraguay-Paraná waterway.
This new waterway toll was launched in January 2023.
The resolution No. 1023/2022, issued by the Argentinean Minis-try of Transportation, approved the $1.47 fee per tonne transported on the 1,180-kilometre stretch of the waterway.
The objective is that the fee will be used in dredging and signalling works.
READ: Paranaguá Container Terminal reaches new heights in 2022
The new toll has not been welcomed by Paraguayan importers and exporters and the Paraguayan Federation of Production, Industry and Commerce (Feprinco) has requested the national government to review the plan.
While the measure remains in force, importers and exporters seek alternative routes through Brazil.
The most viable alternative for companies has been the Port of Paranaguá, which has gained strength in the Paraguayan market according to the Paranaguá Container Terminal (TCP).
The Commercial Coordinator for Paraguay of TCP, André Frigotto, explained: “The company is the main Brazilian alternative for foreign trade in the neighbouring country.
“One of the advantages of the overland route is the travel time – 25 to 30 days faster than by barges.
“Another advantage present in TCP is the existence of the Paraguayan Bonded Deposit, a mandatory requirement for international transport of imported cargoes destined for Paraguay,” Frigotto added.
The TCP mentioned land transportation as another advantage to importers selecting Port of Paranaguá.
READ: Paranaguá Container Terminal signs ZPMC contract for new RTGs
The construction of the International Integration Bridge, the second structure in Paraná to connect Brazil and Paraguay, will be another option that stimulates the regional market.
According to Frigotto, the work will be responsible for revolutionising the Brazil-Paraguay trade, allowing a faster and more efficient transit of goods.
“With the new bridge, the expectation is to divert traffic from the Ponte da Amizade bridge,” said Frigotto.
“The new structure will be connected to the eastern perimeter, which will take the trucks directly to the BR-277 road.”
The Secretariat of Infrastructure and Logistics of the State of Paraná Government, José Richa Filho, stated that the forecast for completion of the perimeter work is December 2023, but the deadline will be reviewed in the coming months, depending on the progress of services.
The implementation of the waterway toll comes more than six months after the TCP announced the increase of the operational draft of its Paranaguá Container Terminal in Brazil for the circulation of larger vessels.
