Bolivian river ports alternative route to sea: UNCTAD

26 Nov '18

2 min read

Courtesy: unctad

Bolivia, South America’s poorest country in terms of per capita gross domestic product, on 30 October awarded international classification to Central Aguirre, Gravetal and Jennefer, three river ports on the Paraguay-Paraná waterway that connects the landlocked nation with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and, most importantly, the Atlantic Ocean.

The port reclassifications came a month after the International Court of Justice ruled that Chile did not undertake a legal obligation to negotiate sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean for the Bolivia. Bolivia lost its coastline to Chile after the 1879-84 War of the Pacific.

According to Bismark Rosales, manager of Port Jennefer, businesses can save time and money by using the waterway instead of transporting across the Andean Mountains between Bolivia and Chile’s Pacific ports.

The reduction in freight costs will be 18-20 per cent with 30 per cent less time, according to an UNCTAD press release.

According to the Chamber of Industry, Commerce, Services, and Tourism of Santa Cruz (CAINCO), Bolivian businesses import 110,000 containers through the Chilean port of Arica each year. Some of these containers can now be brought up the Paraguay-Paraná waterway.

Port Jennefer, located on the Tamengo Canal, which currently moves about 500,000 tonnes of cargo, expects this figure to quickly double. UNCTAD’s TrainForTrade Port Management Programme has worked with more than 200 ports in 34 countries. More than 3,000 officials have graduated from the programme since it started in 1996. (DS)

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