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Regional Focus

and vegetables, and it is an important supply country for the the private port terminals (charges which are imposed to
seasonal cruise ships and the regular cargo ships which call at deliver stores from the pier side, or to load the barge/launches

its ports. The Chilean Ship Suppliers Association has for some when required) now form a further burden to keep supply
time now requested that Chile’s Governmental authorities costs at a competitive level for clients. As imports are strictly

should include ship suppliers within the same fiscal law for tax reduced by the government and a few products are

benefits which ship agents have. The current legislation is temporarily prohibited for export, for the time being, the
based on a very old law introduced in the past to protect ship Argentine Ship Suppliers Association sees no further growth

agents, as traditionally agents were the companies responsible of its supply industry.
for the vessel´s customs permits.Uruguay has kept a stable currency exchange and has in

Argentina is once again suffering high inflation while the recent years increased its exports for both grain and beef
small currency devaluations still keep its traditional food products. Added to this, the expansion of the capacity to hold

commodities within competitive levels. The Argentine Ship and transfer the export production from Bolivia and Paraguay
Suppliers Association is kept on its toes and is concerned by using barges via the Paraná River waterway, has increased

about some of the newly instrumented customs house the quantity of vessels now operating in their ports and
permit regulations.anchorage zones.

The main concern is that new customs regulations were The Uruguayan Ship Suppliers & Repairs Society works

introduced with only a week for these to be implemented by closely with the customs authorities and has kept the
Argentine suppliers, with practically no time for these opportunity open for all to request and establish transit and tax

regulations to be nationally set in motion and to be accepted free warehousing. Montevideo is seeing a steady amount of dry
and complied with – for the customs forms at each port and tax docking and many of the fishing vessels that operate in the

office, and also with online requirements imposed which are South Atlantic take the opportunity to do their maintenance
directly connected to the national fiscal tax.and storing there. They are expecting to see a growth in their

activities for 2015.After extensive meetings with both customs and tax
authorities and many inconveniences, the system got off the Brazil, the largest country in South America, suffers many

ground. This resulted in additional costs, including the of the same customs and operational matters as Argentina. The
intervention of a customs broker. Orders may at random be Brazilian Ship Suppliers Association (ABFN) has worked to try

red flagged and placed under customs survey officers to be and solve the problems which exist with private terminals

checked. This and the newly imposed charges from many ofwhich impose, for security reasons, timetables for access to

Issue 63 2014
12 The SHIP Supplier