Argentine Maritime Unions Mobilize Against Opening of Cabotage to Foreign-Flagged Vessels
Cubierto por 3 fuentesPublicado
- comex onlineLa Marina Mercante argentina se declaró en alerta permanente y movilización por la apertura del cabotaje
- el cronistaDuro comunicado. Gremios de la Marina Mercante argentina se declararon en alerta y movilización
- Argen PortsLa industria naval de Mar del Plata pidió revisar el proyecto de Ley de Cabotaje
The labor organizations grouped under the Federación Sindical Marítima y Fluvial (Fe.Si.Ma.F./FESIMAF) declared a state of permanent alert and mobilization over a bill that, according to a statement issued on November 3, 2026, deepens the foreignization of waterborne transport. The unions argued that the initiative threatens Argentine jobs, domestic shipping companies, the shipbuilding industry and the country's logistical sovereignty.
A Bill Before the Senate
The bill in question is S-1844/26, known as the Cabotage, Merchant Marine and Temporary Admission Regime, which was introduced in the Senate on October 20, 2026, and is currently under review by the Infrastructure, Housing and Transport Committee and the Budget and Finance Committee. The Cámara de la Industria Naval de Mar del Plata warned that, as currently drafted, the bill would allow foreign-flagged vessels to enter under temporary admission without paying import duties or VAT and with no age limit, giving them an advantage over vessels built or imported in the country, which are subject to those taxes.
The Unions' Demand
The unions stressed that they are not opposed to progress, efficiency or competitiveness in the sector, but they rejected the idea that, in the name of cost reduction, the Argentine flag would be displaced without first correcting the economic, tax and operational asymmetries that hurt domestic shipping. They also warned of the risk that cargo transport for Argentine goods could end up concentrated in foreign companies, particularly those flying the Paraguayan flag, and questioned who would guarantee competitive freight rates if the national fleet disappears.
The Shipbuilding Industry's View
The Cámara de la Industria Naval de Mar del Plata, chaired by Domingo J. Contessi, agreed that the bill pursues a worthy goal in seeking to lower the cost of river and maritime transport, but warned that it does so from an incomplete standpoint with serious conceptual shortcomings that could lead to unfair competition and harm shipbuilding. The chamber noted that the initiative leaves out Argentine shipyards, does not require that repairs be carried out in the country, and makes no mention of Law No. 27,418 on the Promotion of the Shipbuilding Industry, although it praised the simplifications envisaged for container transport and the digital bill of lading.
Proposals and Requests to the Government
Both the unions and the chamber agreed in calling on the Executive Branch and Congress to ensure that any reform includes port infrastructure, multimodal integration, tax fairness and a genuine policy to promote the Argentine flag, with input from representative sectors. The chamber also asked for a dialogue to be opened with shipowners and workers before moving forward with the bill's current wording.
