The administration of Argentine president Javier Milei announced last week plans for a US$550 million investment to build a new port in the Rosario region, the country's major grains and oilseeds hub.
The Liberian-flagged freighter En May was removed on Friday from one of the pillars of the Zárate-Brazo Largo bridge that connects the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires and Entre Ríos, where she got stuck after losing her steering capabilities last Sunday. Full navigation was thus restored on the Paraná River waterway.
As has happened with the mighty Paraná River in the heartland of South America, with the Amazon in northern South America, and even with the Panama Canal, all of them suffering lack of rainfall to keep basins flowing with sufficient water levels, now has come the turn of the Mississippi with insufficient draft for the vessels and barges involved in transporting US grains.
A Paraguayan naval officer and two civilians were arrested Wednesday by the Argentine Coast Guard (PNA) following an incident at around 3 pm in the Paraná River near the PNA's Puerto Maní (Misiones) delegation that resulted in the seizure of a Paraguayan Navy vessel allegedly trying to smuggle fuel to the Paraguayan side.
Argentina's Energy Secretary Flavia Royon said Wednesday that Paraguay had recognized her country's right to charge a fee (toll) to barges sailing along the Parana River Waterway and that the issue at this point was to discuss the price, for which a technical commission will be instated to assess the crossed claims between the neighboring countries for debts related to the Yacyretá Binational Entity (EBY).
Citing security concerns and possible drug trafficking, Argentine authorities have upped their controls on Paraguayan barges sailing through the Paraná River, it was reported in Buenos Aires.
Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, and Uruguay insisted Wednesday on their objections to Argentina collecting tolls on the Paraná River Waterway and demanded the latter to halt that practice until it demonstrates services effectively rendered to navigation justify the measure.
Paraguay's new Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez met last week with representatives of the Paraguay-Parana Waterway Agreement Committee (CPTCP) to discuss the next steps toward the elimination of the toll of US$ 1.47 per ton of net register to river transport circulating through the “Port of Santa Fe-Confluencia” section unilaterally imposed by Argentina.
Brazil's Foreign Ministry Tuesday said Argentina charging tolls since the beginning of the year to barges sailing along the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway had affected other countries in the region and questioned the legality of the one-sided measure, Agência Brasil reported.
The Brazilian Association for the Development of Inland Navigation (Abani) requested the Brazilian Foreign Ministry takes steps after the Argentine decision to seize a vessel of a Brazilian company in Greater Rosario due to debts in the payment of tolls for using the Paraná River waterway, it was reported.