After privatizing the Hidrovía, Milei moves forward with the bidding to dredge the Río de la Plata

After awarding the Paraná-Paraguay Waterway to the private sector, the government of Javier Milei is now advancing with another key project to improve the country's logistical competitiveness. The Administrative Commission of the Río de la Plata has completed the technical stage of the bidding process to dredge and widen the Martín García Channel, a strategic route for the exit of the hydrographic basin to the Atlantic.

According to Resolution 14/2026, issued on June 12 by the Administrative Commission of the Río de la Plata, two bidders were qualified to continue in the race: Jan De Nul, the Belgian firm that has just secured the concession for the Waterway, and Boskalis International Uruguay, a company that operated the same channel from 1999 to 2013 under the name Riovía.

The opening of the economic offers is scheduled for June 25. The contract will have an initial duration of five years, with the possibility of an extension for another five. Meanwhile, the Chinese firm CHEC Dredging was disqualified due to technical non-compliance related to the age of the equipment presented, which exceeded the 30 years allowed by the specifications without offering valid replacements.

The Martín García Channel is a central piece for regional navigation, as its operational depth conditions the loading capacity of the vessels that navigate the Main Navigable Waterway. The section put out to tender runs from kilometer 39, at Barra del Farallón, to kilometer zero of the river.

This progress comes just days after the Ministry of Economy confirmed the awarding of the Paraná-Paraguay Waterway to Jan De Nul and its local partner Servimagnus. Both companies will operate under the partnership Vía Navegable Argentina and will be responsible for the operation, maintenance, and modernization of the river corridor for the next 25 years.

According to official information, the concession of the Waterway did not receive any challenges from the participating companies. Additionally, the project anticipates a 13.5% reduction in logistical costs, the creation of more than 600 direct and indirect jobs, and the incorporation of technology to improve navigation safety and combat drug trafficking.

The Waterway is one of the most important corridors in the country. It extends over 1,635 kilometers and concentrates the exit to the Atlantic of nearly 80% of Argentine exports, especially grains and industrial products shipped from the terminals in Rosario.

With these tenders, the government seeks to leave behind years of outdated infrastructure, bureaucracy, and excessive costs resulting from decades of statism.