The Vice President of the Chamber of Private Commercial Ports, Luis Zubizarreta, analyzed on Canal E how the Paraná–Paraguay Waterway is once again taking a central place in the economic agenda following the launch of the international call for bids for dredging, buoying, and maintenance of the main navigable trunk route.

“Practically 80% of our trade flow with the world passes through the Paraná River,” explained Luis Zubizarreta, highlighting that the waterway is key for a country “far from markets” that needs to reduce logistical costs to gain competitiveness.

The importance of deepening the river

The core of the bidding process is to deepen the river to allow the entry of larger tonnage ships, which significantly reduces transportation costs. “Carrying out works that allow larger ships to enter lowers freight rates and brings us closer to the world,” he noted.

Currently, in some critical points, dredging is necessary to ensure the draft. “What is done is to dredge those points so that larger ships can enter and take the full load,” Zubizarreta explained.

When dredging could begin

The plan involves two stages. In the first, the current draft will be maintained and deepened by two feet as an initial step. In a second phase, feasibility and environmental studies will be conducted to advance toward greater depth. “We estimate that it will start in about six years, and that is when it will truly allow us to depart with full loads,” he stated.

One of the main benefits will be avoiding the so-called “load completion” in other ports. “By deepening the river, we will achieve ships loading fully and not having to complete loading in a second port, which generates enormous extra costs,” the interviewee maintained.

The Rosario area concentrates a large part of exportable production. “The fact of being able to give depth to the ports in the Rosario area allows ships to depart fully loaded from there,” he added, also emphasizing the direct impact on agro-industrial exports.