Source: TN

The government has proposed an increase in the toll cost for the Hidrovía, Argentina’s main agro-export route, and called for a public hearing with users, as is customary for all public services. The discussion will focus on a proposed 40-60% hike, which might be temporary. The General Ports Administration (AGP), the official body managing the waterway, announced the hearing in the Official Gazette but has yet to set a specific date.

The AGP justified the toll increase by citing a financial imbalance in the concession’s revenues and submitted a proposal to modify the tariff schedule. This increase concerns the business sector due to its impact on the logistics costs of ships navigating the Paraná River. According to industry sources, the increase could affect the final prices of products, impacting both producers and exporters.

Government’s Position The government justified the measure as a necessity to correct the financial deficit inherited from the previous administration, aiming to balance the Hidrovía concession’s revenues. The AGP’s General Management reported financial imbalances to the Undersecretariat of Ports and Waterways, leading to the conclusion that a tariff review was reasonable.

The Ministry of Economy’s Transportation Secretariat, responsible for the concession contract, also approved the proposal. According to the concession contract’s Article 17.3, any tariff revision must involve users and representative entities, leading to an open consultation process.

Private Hidrovía users, including agro-exporters, ports, steelmakers, and shipping companies, still hope for a national government call for a new private operator to deepen, expand, and modernize the vital Argentine waterway, considered outdated since the 1990s.