Paraguayan Businesses See Shift in Transit Cargo from Montevideo to Buenos Aires

In 2024, Paraguay handled a total of 180,000 TEUs in imports and exports via inland waterways. Today, 80% of that transit cargo is transshipped at the Port of Buenos Aires instead of Montevideo’s port facilities, primarily through Maersk, ONE, Hapag-Lloyd, and MSC, according to Alejandro Dos Santos, president of the Paraguayan Association of Shipping Agents.

The shift from the Uruguayan terminal to Buenos Aires’ maritime facilities intensified in 2024, said Esteban Dos Santos, vice president of the Paraguayan Chamber of Fluvial and Maritime Shipowners (Cafym). He explained that severe congestion, along with persistent labor and operational issues at Montevideo’s port, led shipping lines to reroute cargo.

Dos Santos added that while the expansion project at the container-specialized Terminal Cuenca del Plata was one factor affecting port operations, the main issue was the excessive number of labor strikes, rising costs, and operational delays. These challenges disrupted both ocean-going vessels and feeder barges serving the port.

Against this backdrop, the Cafym board member acknowledged that the trade association engaged in extensive discussions with private operators at the Port of Montevideo, as well as with Uruguay’s National Ports Administration (ANP) and government representatives.

“In every conversation, we warned that transshipment cargo would be redirected if these issues were not resolved. In the end, that’s exactly what happened,” he stated.

Source: PortalPortuario

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