Crane Worldwide Argentina’s Infrastructure Certification

July 2, 2021

Cesar Speratti is the Managing Director of the South Cone here at Crane Worldwide Logistics. He recently took part in our Café con Crane podcast series. He delved into the new certifications the team at Crane Argentina received and discussed advantages for the Agrochemicals industry.

Cesar got his start in international commerce from a client’s perspective. Since then, he has accumulated almost thirty years of experience. In 2008 he, along with a group of incredible professionals, embarked on a new chapter of his professional career, the Crane Worldwide Logistics Argentina office’s opening. Having been with the company for nearly thirteen years, he currently holds South Cone Managing Director and Customs and Compliance Director for Latin America.

Below is an excerpt from the podcast interview.

Tell me more about the team's structure in Argentina

Currently, we have an office in Buenos Aires which was the first office opened in Argentina. Then in 2012, we opened an office in Mendoza, Argentina, that has grown and diversified itself within various industries. Finally, in 2018 we opened a warehouse in Zarate, which has more than doubled in size from 5,000 to 12,000 sq. m since its opening.

Recently your team received an important certification. Could you tell us more about that award?

The certification was granted to us by CASAFE, the Chamber of Agricultural Health and Fertilizers for the agrochemical industry in Argentina. The certification we received ensured the safety levels of our warehouse, certified our warehouse processes and procedures and infrastructure requirements. This certification is one that not many can boast of, and we are extremely proud that our hard work and investment have paid off.

What impact has the pandemic caused on the industry in Argentina?

I think this can be divided between social and organizational impacts. Before the pandemic, working from home was always an option. Still, it was something that most people rejected, assuming that the same level of service could not be provided when working remotely. However, when the pandemic began, the transition to working from home was inevitable. From an operational standpoint, we saw tariff increases, space reductions, and flight changes. We went from having daily flights to various destinations to not having any outgoing flights and needing to find new ways of managing supply chains.

Do any new regulations exist that affect foreign trade in Argentina?

Argentina is already a country that changes its regulations quite frequently, so we have seen more and more restrictions with the pandemic. There have been new regulations on importing volumes that are seemingly long-term. However, we must be attentive and recognize that there will always be an alternative solution and a way to overcome obstacles.