Port Paranagua News

Some truck drivers in Brazil continued blocking roads on Tuesday, slowing grains deliveries to southern ports, even as adherence to the strike diminished and a key highway in top soy state Mato Grosso opened. Nationwide, there were 18 roadblocks over rising freight costs by the end of the day on Monday, well below peaks of more than 100 a week ago, federal highway police said. With the two-week-old protests concentrated in the south, however, the situation at No. 2 soy exporting port Paranagua remained critical, a spokesman said. On Monday just over 700 trucks arrived at the port, less than half the normal amount for this time of the year. With stocks running out, the port can only guarantee exports of soybeans and soymeal through Wednesday, the spokesman said.

Brazilian ports are facing problems in maintaining normal operations due to nationwide Health Authorities strike. Major Brazilian ports around the country are experiencing considerable delays. Vitoria in the south-east has reported a huge increase in the number of vessels at anchor awaiting their berthing turn. The number of vessels at anchorage increased almost ten-fold compared to customary port conditions. Local sources report that Santos Port has about 78 ships waiting at anchorage, in addition to considerable delays on loading/unloading, due to an accumulation of idle cargo inside the terminals awaiting its clearance be granted. Brazil's largest southern port, Paranagua, has more than 120 ships waiting at anchorage.

Brazil's main ports will continue to load and unload ships through the Carnival festival although port administrators will be off from late Feb. 27 to midday on Feb. 28, port authorities said on Tuesday. Labor at the country's southern ports will be on the docks loading and unloading ships around the clock as usual despite Brazil's Carnival festivities, which begin officially on Saturday, Feb. 24, said authorities at leading shipping ports. At Brazil's largest port Santos as well as at the country's main grain port Paranagua, only the administrative offices will be closed from 7 p.m. on Feb. 27 to 1:00 p.m. on Feb. 28 with no expected interruption in ship movement.

Brazil's main ports will continue to load and unload ships through the Carnival festival although port administrators will be off from late Feb. 27 to midday on Feb. 28, port authorities said. Labor at the country's southern ports will be on the docks loading and unloading ships around the clock as usual despite Brazil's Carnival festivities which begin officially on Saturday, Feb. 24, said authorities at leading shipping ports. At Brazil's largest port Santos as well as at the country's main grain port Paranagua, only the administrative offices will be closed from 1900 p.m. on Feb. 27 to 1300 p.m. on Feb. 28 with no expected interruption in ship movement. - (Reuters)