Overview
- The suspension was formalized by Decreto 716/2026 published on Thursday, August 6, which paused the July deregulation (Decreto 690/2026) and reinstated the prior pilotage rules.
- Under an agreement reached with sector representatives, practicaje professionals agreed to immediately reactivate services while tariffs were reduced by 20%, allowing ships to resume movements in key zones such as the Río de la Plata and the Hidrovía.
- Decreto 690 had aimed to liberalize the service by keeping an open registry at the Prefectura, allowing free contracting of pilots and easing entry for new providers, changes that practitioners said would weaken navigational and personal safety.
- About 500–520 independent pilots refused new assignments in protest, producing a stoppage that left dozens to roughly 140–200 vessels delayed at points including Ensenada, Rosario and other export terminals and raised short‑term costs for exporters.
- The new Mesa de Trabajo inside the Ministry of Security will include the Prefectura, the Agencia Nacional de Puertos y Navegación and sector delegates to draft a replacement regime, with negotiators and exporters watching for how safety rules, contracting rules and tariff oversight are rewritten.