MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Wednesday, May 20th 2026 - 23:38 UTC
The winning company will gain access to revenues of close to USD 600 million per year in tolls, according to the tender conditions
The government of Javier Milei proceeded on Tuesday to open the economic bids submitted by the two international consortia competing for the 25-year concession of the Paraná-Paraguay waterway, Argentina's main fluvial trade artery, despite a warning from the Public Prosecutor's Office about the existence of “serious and obvious irregularities” that could give rise to criminal and administrative consequences. The Peronist opposition has filed a bill in Congress demanding the immediate suspension of the process.
The two finalists are the Belgian firm Jan De Nul, partnered with Argentina's Servimagnus, and another Belgian company, Dredging, Environmental & Marine Engineering (DEME). The technical qualification of both consortia was officialized on Monday by the executive. The process is being run under a public works toll concession regime and involves expected investments above USD 10 billion. The winning company will gain access to revenues of close to USD 600 million per year in tolls, according to the tender conditions, over a corridor through which approximately 80% of Argentina's agroindustrial exports flow, along with strategic cargo from Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
