Shipping: Argentina
Key Facts
—Cause. The disruption is a river pilots’ strike, not drought: prácticos and baqueanos stopped work in protest at Decree 690/2026, which deregulates their profession.
—Scale. About 140 vessels were stranded, unable to enter or leave Argentine ports, after the stoppage began on 1–2 August 2026.
—Decree. Signed by President Javier Milei and Deregulation Minister Federico Sturzenegger and published on 31 July, it opens the pilots’ register, caps tariffs and lets some foreign captains navigate without hiring a local pilot.
