Northern Argentina regional parliament debates cabotage reform

During the 60th plenary session of the Northern Grande Parliament in Corrientes, legislators from ten provinces addressed structural economic issues and logistics competitiveness. A primary focus of the debate was the potential deregulation of national cabotage laws.

Representatives highlighted a significant cost disparity in river freight, noting that domestic vessels can cost up to US$2,500 while Paraguayan ships cost approximately US$700. This discrepancy impacts the forest-industrial complex in Corrientes, which holds Argentina’s largest area of planted forests.

Mariano Vilar, Secretary General of the Sindicato de Conductores Navales (SICONARA), expressed strong opposition to the deregulation, warning that opening the sector to foreign vessels would threaten Argentine jobs and national sovereignty. He specifically cited risks to the sand mining industry in Corrientes and called for state policies to protect the merchant marine and regional economies.