A 2,400 km road from Brazil through the Paraguayan Chaco to Chile’s ports could make Paraguay a transit hub to Asia. Here is what is built, what is not, which trade rules apply and how to position a business now.
The Bioceanic Road Corridor links Campo Grande in Brazil to the Chilean ports of Antofagasta, Mejillones and Iquique — about 2,400 km across the Paraguayan Chaco and northern Argentina. For Paraguay, a landlocked country that ships most of its exports down the river to Buenos Aires and Montevideo, it promises a direct road to Asian markets and a new role as a transit hub between Brazil and Chile.
The promise is real, but the timeline is not what the announcements suggest. This guide sets out what is built, what is not, which trade rules apply and how a company can position itself now.
| Section | Status, October 2026 | Expected |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil: Campo Grande to Porto Murtinho | Paved; access works to the new bridge pending | Access roads late 2027 |
| Murtinho–Carmelo Peralta bridge over the Paraguay River | Deck joined 23 July 2026; ferry in use meanwhile | Handover around February 2027 |
| Paraguay: Carmelo Peralta to Loma Plata (PY15) | Paved and open since 2022 | — |
| Paraguay: Mariscal Estigarribia to Pozo Hondo | About half built | Mid-2027 |
| Argentina: Pilcomayo crossing, Salta | Bridge announced; long gravel stretches; works stalled | 2028–2029 at best |
| Chile: Paso de Jama to Antofagasta, Mejillones, Iquique | Paved; pass open roughly 08:00–20:00, closes in snow | Chilean investment plan from April 2025 |
The Paraguayan and Brazilian sections are close. The weak link is Argentina: the Salta stretch is long, partly unpaved, and the national works budget has been frozen. A test convoy ran the full route from 30 May to 5 June 2026, which showed it can be done — not that it is ready for regular freight.
Law and practice: Status from Paraguay’s Ministry of Public Works (MOPC), Brazil’s DNIT and public announcements as of October 2026; dates are official estimates and have slipped before.
For cargo from central Brazil or the Paraguayan Chaco to Asia, the corridor avoids the long sea route around the continent via the Atlantic. Official estimates put the saving at 10 to 14 days of transit time. Cost is less clear: road haulage over 2,400 km with Andean passes is expensive, and the comparison depends on the cargo, the return load and the port charges in Chile.
There is also no integrated customs yet. Each border runs its own controls, and the Paso de Jama is open only by day and closes in heavy snow. Until joint border posts work, delays at crossings can eat into the time saving.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Paraguayan goods into Chile | Duty-free under ACE 35 (Mercosur–Chile, fully liberalised since 2014), with Mercosur origin |
| Services and investment | Chile–Paraguay Economic Complementation Agreement in force since 14 February 2024 |
| Transit through Argentina and Chile | International road transport under ATIT: MIC/DTA manifest, one document across borders |
| Re-export from Chile to Asia | Paraguayan goods do not get Chile’s FTA preferences; they keep Paraguayan origin |
| Storage in Chile | Paraguay’s free deposit in Antofagasta (1968 convention, open since 2005), little used so far |
One misunderstanding is common: goods made in Paraguay and shipped through a Chilean port to Asia travel as Paraguayan goods. Chile’s trade agreements with China, Korea or Japan do not apply to them. The corridor shortens the route, not the tariffs.
Law and practice: ACE 35 (1996); Chile–Paraguay Economic Complementation Agreement (in force 14 February 2024); ATIT, Agreement on International Land Transport. Protocol 69 to ACE 35 entered into force on 30 September 2025 for Argentina, Brazil and Chile; Paraguay’s status was not confirmed at the time of writing.
Beef and food exporters
Chile already buys about 31% of Paraguay’s beef exports and is the third destination for Paraguayan goods — around US$983 million in 2025.
Chaco agribusiness
The corridor runs through the region; land, storage and services along PY15 are where early value appears.
Logistics and transit services
Trucking, bonded warehouses and customs services between Brazil and Chile, run from Paraguay.
Brazilian firms in Mato Grosso do Sul
A Paraguayan base can serve both the Brazilian side and the Chilean market.
Law and practice: Paraguay’s exports to Chile and beef shares from BCP and SENACSA 2025 data.
Beef and food already move by road through Argentina; the corridor will shorten that route.
A certificate of origin under ACE 35 is what keeps goods duty-free in Chile.
For distribution, storage or after-sales in Chile, a SpA may be needed.
Treat the Argentine stretch as the date that matters.
Storage under the 1968 convention may become useful once volumes grow.
If you plan to sell into Chile rather than just pass through, see our guide to opening a SpA from abroad and the Chile–Paraguay treaty.
A road route of about 2,400 km linking Campo Grande in Brazil, the Paraguayan Chaco and northern Argentina to Chile’s Pacific ports of Antofagasta, Mejillones and Iquique.
The Paraguayan and Brazilian sections are expected in 2027. The Argentine stretch in Salta is the bottleneck; a realistic date for the full paved route is 2028–2029.
Its deck was joined on 23 July 2026, and handover is expected around February 2027. Brazilian access roads should follow in late 2027.
Official estimates are 10 to 14 days to Asian markets compared with the Atlantic sea route; cost savings depend on cargo and return loads.
Yes, with Mercosur origin under ACE 35, fully liberalised since 2014.
No. Goods keep Paraguayan origin; Chile’s FTA preferences with Asian countries do not apply.
Paraguay has a free deposit in Antofagasta under a 1968 convention, open since 2005 but little used.
Mercosur origin and the maquila route east.
The tax side of a Chile–Paraguay business.
Tell us what you ship and where. We map the corridor, origin rules and whether you need a Chilean entity — fixed quote within one business day.
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