In Paraguay, the Minister of Ports and Airports, Tomé Franca, participated this Tuesday (30th) in the 68th Summit of Heads of State of Mercosur and Associated States, in Asunción, alongside President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. At the meeting, one of the main topics championed by Brazil was the advancement of the concession of the Paraguay River Waterway, considered strategic for expanding competitiveness and trade among bloc countries.
During the Summit, President Lula reinforced the importance of the agenda for regional integration. "The Paraguay-Paraná Waterway constitutes another pillar of our integration. Strengthening its governance, grounded in freedom of negotiation, cooperation and dialogue among countries of the Prata Basin, will enable us to fully exploit its potential," he stated.
For Minister Tomé Franca, cooperation among countries is fundamental to making the project viable, which will expand connections between Mercosur nations. "This is a priority agenda for the Government of Brazil and for the Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor). We understand the importance of the waterway for the development of Brazil and South America as a path to ensure legal security and operational safety," he noted.
In a bilateral meeting with Paraguay's Minister of Public Works and Communications, Claudia Centurión, Tomé Franca highlighted Brazil's interest in concluding, still in 2026, the bilateral agreement necessary for implementing the concession of the waterway's shared stretches. The expectation is that, after the agreement between the countries is homologated, measures will be adopted to grant the essential navigation services, according to the deliberations of the joint commission responsible for the project.
Minister Claudia Centurión stated that the countries aligned on premises considered fundamental for advancing negotiations, including the adequacy of the concession model proposed by the Brazilian Government and the need to expedite the process. "We defined that a new round of negotiations will be held in the second half of July, when a Brazilian counter-proposal will be presented accompanied by a schedule with the steps planned through year-end," she stressed.
She reinforced that the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway is strategic for the country's economic development and for regional integration. "We want to consolidate the waterway as a major corridor for trade and for the circulation of people and goods. We are committed to continuing to invest and build a long-term vision that strengthens growth and competitiveness in the region," concluded Claudia Centurión.
Strategic corridor for Mercosur
The Paraguay River Waterway is one of South America's main logistics corridors. With more than 1,300 kilometers in Brazilian territory, it links Cáceres (MT) to the mouth of the Apa River, on the border with Paraguay, and integrates a waterway system that extends to Nueva Palmira, in Uruguay.
The corridor is fundamental for the transport of minerals, grains and agricultural products produced in the Center-West, connecting Brazilian production to international markets through the Prata Basin.
Beyond negotiations for the concession, the Brazilian Government is expanding sector investments. Among the highlights is R$ 4.32 billion in funding, prioritized by the Merchant Marine Fund (FMM), with support from the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), for the construction of 400 ore barges and 15 river pushboats intended for ore transport on the Paraguay and Paraná rivers.
The project will expand inland waterway navigation capacity, strengthen the Brazilian shipbuilding industry and is expected to increase the national fleet of waterway cargo transport by 16%, in addition to generating approximately 5,500 direct and indirect jobs.
Minister Tomé Franca highlighted that Brazil is working to advance in negotiations and build a joint solution with the countries that share the waterway. "It is in our strong interest to make progress on this concession. We need each of the countries involved to be integrated and position itself so we can move forward in the negotiations," he said.
Mercosur Summit
The bilateral meeting was part of the programming of the 68th Summit of Heads of State of Mercosur and Associated States, also held in Asunción. Alongside President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Minister Tomé Franca participated in the meeting that brought together leaders of the bloc's member and associated countries to discuss measures for deepening regional integration, strengthening trade, social agenda and development.
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