At least 45 ships carrying agricultural products and grain are unable to leave the port due to a strike launched by pilots in Rosario, Argentina’s main river-marine logistics hub.
Sea-news.az reports that Gustavo Idígoras, head of the Argentine Edible Oil Industry Chamber and Grain Exporters Center (CIARA-CEC), issued a notification regarding this.
The head of the organization emphasized that the number of ships currently waiting at the port has exceeded 45, and another 30 ships are expected to be added to this list in the near future: “Every day of delay for a ship works like a taxi meter — additional financial loss and freight costs ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 per day occur due to the downtime.”
Although import-export entities support the government’s deregulation policy in the maritime sector, they consider the official structures’ failure to discuss changes made to the regulatory framework with the Pilots Union in advance to be a major misstep. It is precisely these uncoordinated decisions that have led to protests and a strike by sailors.
On July 30, new regulations in the field of shipping and maritime navigation were published in the government’s official press. The unions of pilots and river vessel captains believe that these regulations will lead to the reduction of sailors’ jobs and the weakening of shipping safety in the waters.
