Brazil: Port of Santos receives largest fertilizer operation in its history

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Port of Santos will receive the largest bulk fertilizer ship in its history on January 18, 2022. The vessel MV Benfica sails under the Singapore flag and will dock at the Guarujá Maritime Terminal (Termag) with about 76 thousand tons of ammonium sulfate and ammonium phosphate.

According to Portos e Navios, this will be the largest volume of fertilizer imports ever recorded by the port authorities and will be assisted by Unimar Agenciamientos Marítimos, in charge of bringing the vessel.

Under this context, Bárbara Matos, New Business Analyst at Unimar, pointed out that “the fertilizer market in 2022 tends to be challenging in the same way it was in 2021. Queues, in most ports, should continue at the same average between 25 and 40 days, and prices of these inputs are not expected to drop in the short term.”

Comparing fertilizer imports from 2020 to 2021, we had a 4% growth and a record volume that had never been seen before up to November. There were already 40 million tons imported.

According to data compiled by the Brazilian media from the Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services, compared to 2020, Brazil recorded a 9% increase in ammonium sulfate imports and 53% in ammonium phosphate imports.