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Ports and shipping in Uruguay: port service concessions, stevedoring competition, free circulation of goods and the national flag cargo reservation

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Last verified: 2026-10-27 · Status: Stable

Private companies can provide port services in Montevideo and other ports, and the national port authority (ANP) can grant concessions, permits and authorisations, or partner with private capital, with Executive approval (Ley Nº 16.246 art. 9 and 11). Concessions are for a fixed term, may never give exclusive use of ANP's commercial docks, and concessions over port land require the concessionaire to build new works at its own cost; stevedoring and cargo handling are in free competition (art. 12 and 23). Goods circulate freely and tax free inside the port precinct, and the law reserves to Uruguayan flag vessels the right to carry at least 50 percent of seaborne trade, with imports on national ships when one is in loading position, subject to international agreements (Ley Nº 16.246 art. 2 and 3; Decreto Ley Nº 14.650 art. 2 and 3).

USD figures use UYU 40.21 per US dollar, the BCU quotation for DLS. USA BILLETE on 27 October 2026; amounts in Unidades Indexadas (UI) use UYU 6.6792 per UI, the BCU quotation for 27 October 2026; amounts in Unidades Reajustables (UR) use UYU 1,940.77, the September 2026 value published by IMPO (Decreto Nº 229/026), the latest available on 27 October 2026. Conversions are for orientation only.

Key facts

Private provision of port services	Allowed; no de facto monopoly over State docks and cranes Ley Nº 16.246 art. 9, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Exclusive use of ANP commercial docks by permit	Prohibited Ley Nº 16.246 art. 12, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Stevedoring and cargo handling	Free competition Ley Nº 16.246 art. 23, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Share of seaborne trade reserved to national flag ships	50 % minimumDecreto Ley Nº 14.650 art. 2, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Goods in the Port of Montevideo precinct	Free circulation, exempt from import taxes Ley Nº 16.246 art. 2 and 3, as of 2026-10-27 · in force

The rule

1. Port services must be efficient and competitive and provided around the clock all year when demand requires. The Executive sets port policy, promotes decentralisation of ports and ensures that services in free competition really are competitive, keeping the right to set maximum tariffs. Ports outside Montevideo existing in 1992 are run by the Ministry of Transport and Public Works unless assigned to ANP.
Cost to do it: Port tariffs and maximum tariffs are set administratively, not in the law.
Example: A terminal operator in a river port outside Montevideo deals with the transport ministry unless the port is assigned to ANP. / Same in USD.Ley Nº 16.246 (Ports Law) of 8 April 1992, Art. 1, 7 and 20, 1992-04-08 official text · verified 2026-10-27

2. Private companies may provide port services in the Port of Montevideo on the technical and economic terms set by regulation, using their own equipment and staff or ANP's, but use of State docks and cranes may never become a de facto monopoly. With Executive approval, ANP may grant concessions, permits or authorisations to provide maritime and land port services, use spaces in the port precinct, and build works; contract port services with third parties; and partner with private capital through companies in which ANP takes part in management and capital.
Cost to do it: Concession fees and investments are set in each tender and contract.
Example: A logistics company can obtain a permit to operate a warehouse inside the Montevideo port precinct with Executive approval. / Same in USD.Ley Nº 16.246, Art. 9 and 11, 1992-04-08 official text · verified 2026-10-27

3. Concessions, permits and authorisations are granted for a fixed term with broad control powers for ANP. Permits and authorisations can never give one or several companies exclusive use of ANP's commercial docks. Concessions over port land, docks, yards, warehouses or anchorage may only be granted if the concessionaire builds, at its own cost, new works that provide new services or expand existing ones, with a reasonable ratio between space and new investment set in the regulation and tender terms. ANP must promote user choice, prevent de facto monopolies or control them, and avoid unfair subsidised competition. Private operators must meet technical and economic qualifications, serve all users on equal terms and keep services continuous and regular.
Cost to do it: The concessionaire funds the new works required by art. 12.
Example: A container terminal concession requires the concessionaire to build new berths or yards at its own expense. / Same in USD.Ley Nº 16.246, Art. 12, 13 and 14, 1992-04-08 official text · verified 2026-10-27

4. Stevedoring, loading, unloading and related services, and cargo handling on land, are provided under free competition, with a single direction on board and ashore and the powers of direction, organisation and discipline held by employers. The Executive sets technical and economic requirements for operators; private operators follow general labour, tax and social security rules plus port organisation and policing rules. Through ANSE the Executive keeps a register of all categories of staff of private operators and controls their labour, social security and safety obligations.
Cost to do it: Operator qualification costs set by regulation.
Example: A stevedoring company can hire and organise its own crews, subject to ANSE's registration and control role. / Same in USD.Ley Nº 16.246, Art. 21, 22, 23 and 24, 1992-04-08 official text · verified 2026-10-27

5. Goods circulate freely in the Port of Montevideo without authorisations or formalities and may change destination freely; activities are limited to storage, repacking, relabelling, sorting, grouping, consolidation, handling and splitting without changing the nature of the goods. While in the port customs precinct goods are exempt from import taxes and surcharges; entry into Uruguay's customs territory is an import. The same regime applies to other ports and terminals able to receive ocean going ships with legally defined areas, and to lightering zones set under the Treaty of the Río de la Plata and its Maritime Front with Argentina.
Cost to do it: No import taxes while in the precinct; port service charges still apply.
Example: A distributor can hold goods in the port, relabel them and re export them to Paraguay without paying Uruguayan import duties. / Same in USD.Ley Nº 16.246 art. 2, 3 and 4, Art. 2 to 4, 1992-04-08 official text · verified 2026-10-27

6. Uruguay reserves the right to carry in national flag ships at least 50 percent of goods traded abroad by sea, river or lake. Imports by water must, without prejudice to international agreements, be carried on qualifying national flag ships unless none is in loading position with space; otherwise other ships may be used with Ministry of Transport authorisation under listed conditions (agreements, homologated freight conferences or qualifying foreign ships), and outside those cases any ship may be used. The Naval Prefecture certifies whether national ships are in loading position. The Executive may extend the national flag obligation to exports enjoying tax benefits or financed by domestic banks. Owners of qualifying national ships must be Uruguayan citizens domiciled in Uruguay or companies domiciled there and controlled and directed by Uruguayan citizens.
Cost to do it: Freight on a national ship when one is in loading position; certification by the Naval Prefecture.
Example: An importer shipping bulk cargo from abroad must check whether a qualifying national flag vessel is in loading position before booking a foreign ship. / Same in USD.Decreto Ley Nº 14.650 (Merchant Marine Law) of 12 May 1977, Art. 1, 2, 3, 6, 8 and 9, 1977-05-12 official text · verified 2026-10-27

Body	Role	Norm
Executive	Port policy, maximum tariffs, approval of ANP concessions	Ley Nº 16.246 art. 7 and 11
ANP	Administers Montevideo and assigned ports; grants concessions and permits	Ley Nº 16.246 art. 11
Capitanía del Puerto de Montevideo	Coordinates all port activities	Ley Nº 16.246 art. 15 and 16
Ministry of Transport and Public Works	Runs other ports; authorises foreign ships for reserved cargo	Ley Nº 16.246 art. 20; Decreto Ley Nº 14.650 art. 3
ANSE	Register and labour control of stevedoring staff	Ley Nº 16.246 art. 24 and 27
Naval Prefecture	Certifies national ships in loading position	Decreto Ley Nº 14.650 art. 6

Port and shipping roles

Worked example

Terminal concession: an investor seeking a concession over a yard in the Montevideo precinct must commit to new works at its own cost that add or expand services, under a fixed term, and may not obtain exclusive use of ANP's commercial docks (Ley Nº 16.246 art. 12).
Re export hub: goods from Asia stored and repacked in the port precinct for Paraguay or Argentina pay no Uruguayan import duties while in the precinct; only port services are charged (Ley Nº 16.246 art. 2 and 3).

Step by step

1. Identify the port and its administrator (ANP or the transport ministry).
2. For services, meet the technical and economic qualifications in the regulation and apply for a permit or authorisation; for land or dock use, bid for a concession with a works programme.
3. Obtain Executive approval of the ANP concession, permit or partnership (art. 11).
4. Register stevedoring staff and comply with ANSE controls (art. 24).
5. For imports by water, check the national flag cargo reservation and obtain the Naval Prefecture certificate or ministry authorisation before using a foreign ship (Decreto Ley Nº 14.650 art. 3 and 6).

Common traps

Port land concessions are only available if you build new works at your cost (Ley Nº 16.246 art. 12).
Activities in the port precinct may not change the nature of goods; manufacturing belongs in free zones (art. 2).
Goods leaving the precinct into Uruguay are imports for all purposes (art. 3).
The cargo reservation yields to international agreements, so check the bilateral maritime agreement for the route (Decreto Ley Nº 14.650 art. 3).
Private operators must serve all users on equal terms (Ley Nº 16.246 art. 14).

Sources

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