Argentina’s Pilots Resume Work After Government Suspends Deregulation Order
Operations were resuming at Argentina’s ports and along the key inland shipping lanes after pilots walked off the job in response to efforts by the government to deregulate operations in the ports, including the requirement to use pilots. The government argued that the rules had not been updated in 30 years and were hampering global competition, and that logistics costs needed to be lowered.
The government, on Friday, July 31, enacted the deregulation decree. It dropped the requirement to use pilots in the ports and along the riverways if the ship’s captain could demonstrate sufficient familiarity with the waterways. The decree also removed the limit on the number of licensed pilots, with the government saying the increase would improve availability for those ships that required the services.
The pilots' union immediately announced it was going on strike, demanding that the government rescind the decree. The companies that managed pilots began reporting over the weekend that they did not have available personnel, and ships were beginning to back up while others began diverting to Uruguay or Brazil. The union had said it would be an open-ended strike until the government agreed to its demands.
By Monday, there were reports in one region that 45 vessels were already affected by the protest. The president of the business chamber, Gustavo Idigoras, said the number would increase by approximately 30 ships per day. Some reports said as many as 150 ships had already been impacted across Argentina.
Pilots are critical as many of Argentina’s agricultural ports are inland, requiring river navigation. Argentina is the largest exporter of soybeans and a major exporter of corn and wheat. It is also a large beef exporter and resumed live cattle exports in 2025.
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The Argentine Naval Prefecture issued an order for the pilots to return to work, saying that they were an essential and mandatory service. It warned that the pilots could face criminal charges that carried prison sentences of between two and eight years.
The government and the union reached a quick resolution on Tuesday, with the government agreeing to suspend the decree. In exchange, the union agreed to a 20 percent lowering of the fees for pilot services. The two sides also agreed to establish a joint working group to review the issues and development recommendations to improve the operations.
