Paranaguá port expects 9 mt of fertilizer imports by the end of the year

The Port of Paranaguá, in Paraná, expects to see 9 million tonnes of fertilizer imports by the end of this year, according to the fertilizer industry union Sindiadubos. This estimate is based on the increased movement of this type of cargo in recent months.

Portos do Paraná, which manages the terminals of Paranaguá and Antonina, reported that unloading operations of fertilizers rose 10.32% from March to April, from 755.8 thousand to 833.8 thousand tonnes. The growth was 4.36% from April to May, reaching 870.2 thousand tonnes. In the first five months of the year, the total volume reached 3.924 million tonnes, mainly consisting of imported cargo from Russia (20.4%), China (19.7%), Canada (18.6%), and the United States (8.8%).

Gabriel Vieira, the Director of Operations at Portos do Paraná, said that Paranaguá remains the main entry point for fertilizers in Brazil, accounting for 27% of the fertilizer imports in the country.

Décio Gomes, the executive manager of Sindiadubos, said that Paranaguá has advantages that ensure its competitive edge over other ports in the country for importing fertilizers. One of these advantages is the static storage capacity, which exceeds 3 million tonnes.

“Busier” months

Gomes explained that the following months are the busiest for fertilizer imports. The Port of Paranaguá received 2.3 million tonnes from July to September last year. This year, with almost 4 million tonnes already taken in, the expectation is to see an even higher volume in the third quarter of the year.

“The volume of fertilizer imports into Brazil in the first five months of this year was 17% lower than in the same period last year. That means there is still a large gap to be filled, indicating the possible in-coming rising trend to meet producers’ demand,” Gomes said.

The chart below shows fertilizer imports measured in tonnes registered from Jan 2019 to Jun 2023 at the Port of Paranagua. The data is from the DataLiner maritime intelligence service.

Fertilizer imports at Paranagua Port | Jan 2019 – Jun 2023 | WTMT

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

This decrease in the first months of the year is related to global uncertainties. “There is insecurity about the production of Russia, Belarus, and even Ukraine, which also produces fertilizers. There is also no clarity about the purchases that India and China will make this year for their 2024 crops, so there is still an open scenario,” he added.

Gomes also said that the exchange rate of agricultural commodities for fertilizer is still favorable for producers, although there is already an upward trend in the input prices worldwide.

Source: Globo Rural

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