Mondelēz Brasil Adopts Coastal Shipping for Transporting Raw Materials and Products, Aiming for a 20% Reduction in Logistics Costs

In partnership with Aliança Navegação e Logística—a company under A.P. Moller-Maersk—Mondelēz Brasil, owner of iconic brands such as BIS, Oreo, Trident, and Tang, is taking another step toward innovation in its logistics chain. The company is rebalancing its transportation matrix by adopting an intermodal strategy that includes coastal shipping for long-haul cargo transportation across Brazilian regions.

Negotiations began in 2023, and the company is shifting its cargo from a “purely road-based” model to a coastal shipping-integrated approach for transporting raw materials and finished products. Over 12 months, the project can potentially reduce logistics costs by approximately 20%, with an expected increase in shipment volume next year. Products such as Club Social, Oreo, Trakinas, and Chocolicia are being transported by sea from Vitória de Santo Antão (PE) to Louveira (SP) and São José dos Pinhais (PR).

As a safer mode with the capacity to move large cargo volumes, increasing transport efficiency while reducing CO₂ emissions per ton-kilometer, coastal shipping aligns with Mondelēz Brasil’s environmental policies. “Integrated with other transport modes supporting Brazilian industry and retail, coastal shipping is a strong ally in tackling logistical challenges. A single Aliança vessel, for instance, can transport the equivalent of 3,000 trucks, significantly reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the supply chain,” emphasized Luiza Bublitz, President of Aliança Navegação e Logística.

According to the Brazilian Association of Coastal Shipping Operators (ABAC), coastal shipping emits at least four times less CO₂ than road transport. “This ‘perfect match’ between coastal shipping and other transport modes, particularly road and rail, replaces long-haul trucking, rebalancing Brazil’s logistics matrix,” added Luiza.

“By 2030, we plan to double the size of our business, both in Brazil and globally. This partnership, enabling the transport of large cargo volumes over long distances, will significantly facilitate product distribution across the country,” highlighted Claudio Pena, Supply Chain Excellence Coordinator. “Coastal shipping allows us to reach markets where we currently face logistical challenges, such as the North region, reducing our dependence on road transport,” added Camila Lechetta, Regional Strategic Sourcing, responsible for the project at Mondelēz.

A successful pilot project has already been conducted, involving the transfer of sugar from processing plants in Pitangueiras (SP) and Jaboticabal (SP) to Mondelēz’s factory in Vitória de Santo Antão (PE), with Aliança handling transport in Jundiaí (SP). This logistics chain includes rail transport to the Port of Santos (SP) and coastal shipping to Vitória de Santo Antão (PE), with a projected volume of 30 to 40 HC containers per month once fully implemented. HC containers are the most widely used worldwide and are ideal for transporting dry goods.

New Routes

The growing demand for refrigerated products—especially chocolate-based items essential to Mondelēz’s portfolio in the North region—has led to the start of negotiations for refrigerated cross-docking, a logistics process focused on efficiency and speed, minimizing storage time. As a result, Mondelēz and Aliança successfully tested the direct transport of products from the Louveira (SP) distribution center to Manaus (AM).

This complex operation also included regular shipments from Pernambuco to Paraná and São Paulo, reinforcing the company’s strategy of shifting from road to maritime transport.

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