PLN 2024 Conference confirms Uruguay as a vital hub for pharmaceutical logistics in Latin America

The recent Pharma Logistics Network (PLN) Annual Conference in Montevideo marked Uruguay’s new recognition as a key logistics hub in Latin America. This network was created to establish a global association of professionals specialized in pharmaceutical logistics, with a strong focus on ensuring high-quality standards in transporting and handling pharmaceutical products. This first edition of the event in South America, organized by the Uruguayan company Global Cargo Logistics, brought together global leaders in the sector to exchange ideas and build networks around the future of pharmaceutical logistics.

Uruguay XXI, the national investment and export promotion agency, also participated, highlighting the country’s competitive advantages and attractiveness to international companies looking for a stable and secure platform to expand their regional operations.

“The fact that the PLN conference is being held in Uruguay is a clear sign of our strategic positioning in the region,” said Eduardo Rodríguez, deputy executive director of Uruguay XXI, during the event. Rodriguez, who presented why Uruguay is an ideal platform for the logistics and distribution of pharmaceuticals, highlighted that in 2023, the country handled close to $900 million in pharmaceuticals in transit. “Uruguay has become a distribution hub for the entire Americas,” he noted.

Uruguay’s attractiveness as a logistics hub lies in its modern infrastructure, strong and favorable regulations for international trade, and strategic location. With government policies that include free port and airport regimes, free trade zones, and a legal framework that has been in place for more than 30 years, the country offers essential guarantees for the pharmaceutical industry, which is characterized by the need for strict temperature control, safety and delivery times for susceptible products.

“Uruguay is positioned as a safe, stable and democratic nation, which has become a logistics hub for the region, with free zones and regimes among the best in the world for quality,” Sergio Alpuy Dutra, founder of Global Cargo Logistics, told the weekly Crónicas. He also stressed that Uruguay’s commitment is not limited to offering logistics services but seeks to attract foreign investment by promoting these structural advantages.

During the meeting, participants visited strategic facilities such as Carrasco Airport and various free trade zones, where they observed the infrastructure that supports pharmaceutical distribution in Uruguay in operation. In his speech, Rodriguez also highlighted the pharmaceutical industry’s role in national employment, with around 7,500 people working in the sector, of which 1,500 are directly linked to pharmaceutical logistics.

With this event, Uruguay reinforces its position as a reliable player in the pharmaceutical supply chain in Latin America. The conference allowed the country to demonstrate its capabilities and connect with global leaders in the sector, consolidating its image as a strategic, stable, and high-quality logistics hub.

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