In what represents a complete political and logistical turnaround for the Industrial Corridor and the country’s foreign trade, the national Government and representatives of the pilotage sector resolved the conflict that had kept the Paraná Waterway and the country’s main ports paralysed. Meeting at the headquarters of the National Ministry of Security, the parties signed an agreement that puts a stop to the massive deregulation and determines the immediate lifting of the operational lock-out.

The key meeting began at 3:30 p.m. this Tuesday, 4 August, in the City of Buenos Aires. On the public sector side were Security Minister Mag. Alejandra Monteoliva; chief of advisers Fernando Kusnier; Security Secretary Dr Martín Ferlauto; and Director of Priority Affairs Daniel Barberis. Representing the pilotage and pilot companies and professionals were John Eric Ryan (head of the Pilotage Chamber), Miguel Ángel Doñate and Mónica Navarro.

The four actions agreed to defuse the crisis

The pressure of recent hours—marked by the accumulation of more than 140 vessels stranded in the roadsteads, the drastic economic losses warned of by CIARA-CEC, and the harsh criminal summons order from the Prefecture—accelerated a basis for understanding.

After an extensive negotiation in which the professionals initially offered a 10% reduction in tariffs and the Ministry countered with 30%, the participants unanimously agreed to submit the following institutional actions for consideration by the Presidency of the Nation:

• Suspension of effects: Immediately suspend the full application of the controversial Decree No. 690/26.
• Reactivation of docks: Reactivate the regular provision of the pilotage and pilotage service in all passages, channels and terminals of the country.
• New Intersectoral Table: Establish a working space made up of officials from the Ministry of Security, the Argentine Naval Prefecture (PNA) and the National Ports and Navigation Agency (ANPyN) on the one hand, and the pilotage entities on the other. This space will have the purpose of drafting a new agreed Regulation; until agreement is reached, Decree 690 will remain suspended.
• Tariff reduction: Establish a fixed twenty per cent (20%) reduction on the current tariff schedules for the pilotage or pilotage service.

Relief for the Up River and the union front

The signing of the agreement, which formally concluded at 5:00 p.m., brings immediate relief to the port terminals of San Lorenzo, Puerto General San Martín and Timbúes, which were heading towards a logistics bottleneck on an industrial scale.