Buenos Aires ports handle 80% of Paraguay’s container trade in 2025

Data from Paraguay’s Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) show that the port of Buenos Aires strengthened its role as a regional logistics hub in 2025, handling around 250,000 TEUs. With this volume, roughly 80% of Paraguay’s containerized cargo moved through ports in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area as the main transshipment gateway to international trade.

The performance of Buenos Aires stands in contrast to that of the port of Montevideo, which faced a year marked by operational challenges. While the Buenos Aires port complex — encompassing terminals between Zárate and La Plata — advanced in streamlining documentation processes and maintained regular berth operations, Montevideo recorded a decline of close to 30% compared with 2024. The contraction was particularly sharp in transit and transshipment operations, historically central to the Uruguayan port’s logistics role.

Operational Impact

In recent months, Uruguay’s main port has been affected by the departure of shipping lines such as Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Hapag-Lloyd, significantly reducing handled volumes. This has been compounded by a complex labor and administrative environment that continues to weigh on operations.

According to the MOPC, coordination between river and land transport modes in Buenos Aires ensured the continuity of Paraguay’s trade flows. Most of the TEUs transported were linked to exports of soybeans, beef, and industrial goods, as well as imports destined for domestic consumption and production processes.

In foreign trade terms, Paraguay reached $16.7 billion in exports and $18.3 billion in imports in 2025, trading with more than 140 destinations.

Discover the main commodities exported by Paraguay in containers between January and November 2025.

Top Exports | Paraguay | 2025 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

In this context, transshipment through Buenos Aires proved decisive in enabling this scale of operations, integrating river, road, and maritime transport into a coordinated logistics system.

Source: dataPortuaria Argentina

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