Paraná River convoy exemptions and Eldorado port revival aim to boost Argentine wood trade

A new decree (Decreto 690/2026) exempts push‑convoys and their tugs from the mandatory pilotage requirement on the Paraná and Uruguay rivers. The rule applies to vessels over 150 m in length or 6.40 m draft, but specifically excludes these convoys, allowing captains with 20 trips in three years to forgo a pilot. The Paraguayan‑flagged fleet dominates the waterway, with more than 3,000 vessels making it the third largest river fleet worldwide.

In parallel, provincial deputy Carolina Butvilofsky is promoting the revival of the Eldorado port in Misiones Province. The project seeks to reactivate the regional wood industry by lowering transport costs, restarting idle sawmills, and creating jobs. Negotiations with German investors aim to supply machinery for structural timber destined for the European market. The port, part of the Paraná waterway, could handle up to 3,000 container loads per month from the 282 local sawmills, positioning Misiones as a key wood supplier to the EU.