Brazil: Ports of Paraná record 14% increase in fertilizer arrivals in the first five months of 2022

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The transport of fertilizers through the ports of Paraná registered an increase of 14% between January and May 2022. Imports of the product had already shown a growth trend since last year, but with the war between Russia and Ukraine, unloading remains unstable due to the price and demand.

A total of 4,791,982 tons of fertilizer were unloaded in the first five months of the year, compared to 4,192,659 tons in the same period of 2021.

In 2022, imports peaked in February. At the beginning of the conflict, they received 1,338,633 tons of fertilizer. This is almost 48% more than was landed in January.

In the following two months, the volume decreased. In March, 879,908 tons were received, 34% less than in February this year but still 15% more than in the same month of 2021.

Now the figures for May show that imports have increased again: 88% compared to the previous month. At 1,125,585 tons, the increase can also be seen in comparison with the same month of 2021, when 916,924 tons were handled (+23%).

According to Luiz Fernando Garcia da Silva, president of the public company that manages the terminals in Paraná, the movement is due to price fluctuations and producers’ fear of a lack of inputs.

“When the war started, there was a lot of uncertainty about the impact on the market. Many people choose to anticipate purchases to guarantee the delivery of the product and the business. As the conflict progressed, prices increased, and storage capacity reached its limits. There was neither a shortage of product nor queues for the boats. The operation was affected, but the logistics chain includes factors at both ends,” he said.

According to Garcia da Silva, in the first five months of this year, the ports of Paraná received 201 vessels with fertilizers. Last year, there were 156 ships in the same period.

Faced with increasing demand for fertilizers, the private terminal in Antonina recorded a 373% increase in the volume of fertilizers unloaded between January and May: 572,045 tons in 2022 compared to 120,852 tons in the same period of 2021.

Shipments of vegetable oils increased by 38% and amounted to 699,785 tons in the first five months of this year. In the same period last year, they amounted to 508,087 tons. On the other hand, imports of liquid bulk decreased by 35%. They amount to 136,454 tons in 2021 and 136,454 tons in 2022.

From January to May 2022, 471,276 20-foot containers (TEUs) were handled, up 4% from last year.

In terms of exports, the segment recorded an 8% increase. In the first five months, 273,342 TEUs were loaded, compared to 253,728 TEUs in 2021. On the contrary, for imports, the figure is 197,934 TEU this year and 200,638 TEU in 2021, down 1%.