Montevideo Port records declining TEU throughput this year

The Port of Montevideo registered a falling trend in container throughput during the first four months of 2019, following the decision by Paraguyan shippers to redirect cargoes in transit via the Port of Buenos Aires. According to Uruguay’s Center of Navigation (Cenave), container throughput was down by 12.3% to 136,966 containers between January and April year-on-year. In the same period, exports dropped by 14.5%, imports by 14%, and containers in transit by 9.7%, compared to the same period last year.

The month of April recorded a throughput of 35,876 containers, down 2.1% year-on-year, according to the Cenave. Although imports fell by 2.7%, exports increased by 11.9%, preventing a greater fall; empty container movements fell by 23.3% in April, year-on-year. Export revenue saw positive growth in April after a streak of three negative results, at 10.2%.

In February, the Buenos Aires port authority reduced transshipment charges from US$1,000 to US$100 in a bid to attract Paraguayan clients using the Paraguay-Parana River. With this Montevideo is facing increasingly steep competition from neighboring Buenos Aires which is progressing with plans to renew port infrastructure.

DatamarNews reported Argentina’s Ministry of Transportation has recently approved the Buenos Aires Port licitation documentation to allow national and international parties to bid to operate the port for the next 50 years. According to the Minister of Transportation, Guillermo Dietrich, the renewal of port infrastructure will double the current cargo capacity and provide a flexible design, adaptable to market needs. The expansion work already carried out has added nine hectares for logistics operations to Dársena F and 15 hectares to the north side of the sixth pier to serve as an external terminal to receive larger vessels.

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