According to the Container Terminal of Paranagua, importing through the port offers advantages to Paraguayan companies, which will be boosted by the new bridge connecting Brazil and Paraguay
In January 2023, the Argentinean waterway toll for vessels in the stretch between Confluencia Santa Fe and Paso Queso, on the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway, became official. The resolution No. 1023/2022, issued by the Argentinean Ministry of Transportation, approved the $1.47 fee per ton transported on the 1,180-km stretch of the waterway. The objective is that the fee will be used in dredging and signaling works.
The measure is not well seen by Paraguayan importers and exporters. 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 seek new destination options, the main one being the port of Paranaguá, which has gained strength in the Paraguayan market.
The commercial coordinator for Paraguay of TCP (Paranaguá Container Terminal), André Frigotto, explains that “the company is the main Brazilian alternative for foreign trade in the neighbor 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 to Paraguay”.
Another advantage for the importer which chooses logistics through the Port of Paranaguá is the land transportation. The construction of the International Integration Bridge, the second structure in Paraná to connect the two countries, will be another option that stimulates the regional market. According to Frigotto, the work will be responsible for revolutionizing 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. The new structure will be connected to the eastern perimeter, which will take the trucks directly to the BR-277 road”, he explains.
According to the Paraná State Government News Agency, the Integration Bridge structure is already finished. The remaining steps are the finishing touches, which are being executed, such as the installation of the internal and external guardrails. The Secretariat of Infrastructure and Logistics of the State of Paraná Government states 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.
Feprinco Note
The Federation of Production, Industry and Commerce of Paraguay requested the national government “to adopt the necessary measures for the immediate rectification of this situation. This imposition represents a violation of the bilateral rules between Argentina and Paraguay, affecting the entire logistic coast of our country”. So far, the toll remains unchanged.
