The domestic navigation market (cabotage) grew 27% in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period in 2013, reaching 165 thousand TEUs (20-foot container). The data were compiled by the shipowner Mercosur Line, of the Maersk group, based on a survey carried out by the maritime trade consultancy Datamar.
Mercosul, third in the sector, behind Aliança and Log-In, respectively, grew above the market. It ended the January-March period with a 30% increase over the same base as in 2013, transporting just over 30 TEUs in the period.
The shipowner's main executive, Roberto Rodrigues, says that the increase was largely supported by the purchase of electronics for the World Cup. Manufactured in the Free Zone, in Manaus, they use ships heading south and southeast.
Historically, cabotage has grown at double digits. “Part of that comes from the Driver's Law, which has increased road costs. So much so that on the uphill leg (South-North), which does not have as much impact from the Cup, we have seen double-digit growth”, says Rodrigues.
The estimate is that the pace of growth will decrease in the middle of the year, precisely due to purchases already made for the Cup, remaining stable in the second half. The expectation is that domestic maritime transport will grow 16% this year, reaching almost 650 thousand TEUs. Rodrigues claims that Mercosur will grow in line with the market. Today, the shipowner has three ships in the fleet and accounts for around 23% of the volumes handled in cabotage. One of Mercosur's differentials is that it is linked to an international shipping group, Maersk Line, which allows a synergy between cabotage and the “feeder” service, which is long-haul (international) cargo transferred to a national port. The same goes for Aliança, linked to the German shipowner Hamburg Süd.
Regarding operating costs, Rodrigues says that the great expectation of navigation was that port reform would lower pilotage prices, the mandatory service for maneuvering ships to enter and leave the port. According to him, the service represents 60% to 70% of the cost of a ship owner in a berth. The government tried to set a ceiling by maneuver, but the issue is judicialized. The pilots say that this is free negotiation between them and the shipowners. "We haven't gotten anywhere."
Source: Valor Econômico
By Fernanda Pires
