Container freight prices rise 250% in less than 1 year

The sharp rise in import costs between China and Brazil is impacting logistics and the competitiveness of Brazilian companies. Until March, shipping a 40-foot container cost around $3,000, but it has now reached $7,500—a 250% increase in under a year. External factors, such as high demand for Chinese electric vehicles and import pre-orders in response to rising tariff rates, drive this surge.

In addition to rising import costs from Asian countries, major Brazilian ports, like Santos, are experiencing severe congestion, operating well above the recommended capacity for cargo handling. The agribusiness sector, in particular, is being hit hard, with droughts in the Amazon impacting grain exports and further straining logistical operations.

Rodrigo Giraldelli, an expert in Brazil-China trade and import consultant, highlights that the rising freight costs and logistical bottlenecks require importers’ attention to maintain competitiveness.

Giraldelli, head of China Gate—a consultancy with two decades of experience in China imports—adds that the overload at ports like Santos and logistical bottlenecks across national routes are intensifying the strain on the sector: “The challenges are significant, but thorough cost analysis and a focus on efficiency can keep companies competitive.”

Source: Monitor Mercantil

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