VUCE Incorporates ANP into Its Digital Platform, Advancing the Digitization of Foreign Trade

The Single Window for Foreign Trade (VUCE) has incorporated the National Port Administration (ANP) into its digital platform in a new step toward the modernization and simplification of Uruguay’s foreign trade system. The agreement will reduce in-person procedures, digitize records, and enhance interoperability within the national logistics framework.

Mariana Ferreira, Executive Director of Uruguay XXI, emphasized that the signing reflects a shared strategic vision among the participating agencies. “A shared agenda between VUCE, ANP, and the National Customs Directorate is focused on improving processes, strengthening operational efficiency, and boosting productivity in the country’s industry,” she said.

Ferreira highlighted that VUCE has been a key tool in trade facilitation, integrating public agencies, digitizing procedures, and simplifying operations for foreign trade operators. “Approval times have improved, costs for both the public and private sectors have been reduced, and transparency in procedures has been strengthened,” she noted. In this regard, she described deeper integration with the port — the country’s main gateway for foreign trade — as “a strategic step that reaffirms a coordinated state agenda committed to digital transformation.”

For her part, VUCE Executive Coordinator Daniela Vignolo described the event as a milestone in the system’s evolution. “VUCE was created in 2013 at the initiative of Customs and today has more than 300 digitized, optimized, and simplified procedures, which have had a significant impact on costs for both the public and private sectors,” she recalled.

Vignolo emphasized that ANP’s incorporation represents a necessary step toward deeper integration of the logistics system. “This collaboration is essential, as it opens the door to much more efficient foreign trade. It is natural for VUCE to evolve toward the integration of smart ports and a maritime single window,” she said. She also stressed that the joint effort aims to “position the country as a regional logistics and investment hub.”

In the first phase, the integration will enable the digital management of registration and record updates for Port Operators, Maritime Agents, and Customs Brokers with the ANP — procedures that until now required in-person submission and physical documentation. Digitization will reduce processing times, administrative costs, and operational delays.

Pablo Genta, President of the ANP, emphasized that the agreement aligns with the agency’s strategic objectives. “It is putting into action what we have set as our goal: to advance the effectiveness and efficiency of ANP’s activities in order to promote and increase the competitiveness of our foreign trade, doing so sustainably and incorporating technology,” he said.

Genta noted that the objective is to achieve the full digitization of foreign trade-related processes by 2027. “We will gain competitiveness and provide better service to our customers,” he added, within the framework of the strategy to consolidate the Smart Port model.

Joaquín Serra, Director of the National Customs Directorate, highlighted the institutional scope of the agreement. “This cooperation agreement is another contribution to positioning Uruguay as a regional logistics hub, a goal shared by the public and private sectors,” he said.

Serra added that the initiative reflects the functioning of a modern state based on cooperation among public agencies. “The first step is to share the registry of different foreign trade operators, but there is a willingness to continue expanding process integration and simplification,” he said.

With this step, VUCE continues to advance the digitalization of foreign trade, reducing administrative burdens and consolidating a more agile, transparent, and competitive environment for the country.