Argentine State takes control of the Paraná-Paraguay Waterway.
The Argentine State took control of the Hidrovia Paraná-Paraguay, through which 85% of Argentine agro-industrial foreign trade flows, 90% of Paraguay and 50% of Bolivia.
With Decree 427/202, of July 1st 2021, Argentina decided to nationalize dredging and administration of the Paraná-Paraguay Waterway, passing the control to the General Administration of Ports (ADP), Which was until the day before in the hands of the Belgian company Jan de Nul. The tender in which companies from the Netherlands, Brazil, Belgium and China have expressed their interest, is now postponed to next year.
The Paraguay-Paraná waterway represents the main exit gate for the productive heart of the region, were more than 30 modern maritime port terminals, 20 important oil factories and the biodiesel industry are located (www.acsoja.org.ar).
In the last 50 years, Argentina went from exporting 20 million tons to more than 100 million tons of agro-industrial products. The soy complex is the main source of foreign currency in the Argentine economy. In 2020 it represented 27% of the country's total exports (54.8 billion usd).
While the rules of the game are being discussed, the Paraná River suffers the worst downspout in its last 50 years, giving alarming signals for the entire natural ecosystem. This enlarge the challenges to anyone who wants to sustainably manage the region's water resources and waterways.