Brazilian foreign trade via containers had its lowest growth in 2014 since 2009, when the global crisis dropped volumes by 14%. The number of containers where higher value-added cargo is shipped, but also more and more commodities, grew by just 1%, closing the year at 4,65 million TEUs (20-foot containers).
The data are from the Datamar consultancy and were released by Maersk Line, the largest container shipper in the world and third in the ranking of long-haul shipping in Brazil dominated by foreign companies. The survey takes into account only full import and export containers.
Despite the disappointing result, Maersk Line grew 5%, from 600 TEUs to 630 TEUs, and increased by 0,5 percentage points its participation in the transport of Brazilian foreign trade in containers, from 13,5% to 14% . It remains behind Hamburg Süd and MSC respectively.
But, according to Mario Veraldo, Maersk Line's commercial director in Brazil, volumes have not grown as expected in a World Cup year, a typical event that increases foreign purchases and encourages maritime transport. Not even third-quarter volumes, usually boosted by orders for the end-of-year festivities, responded as in previous years. For this year, the company estimates that the maritime market will grow, again, only 1%.
“There was a lot of uncertainty in the second half of 2014. There was an expectation at the beginning of the year of development, a higher signal. That didn't happen,” Veraldo told Valor. And the effects of the appreciation of the dollar have not yet been felt.
Faced with a difficult year, Maersk Line reduced the number of ships employed on the route between Brazil and Europe, cutting the capacity of one of the two services in this traffic by 25% at the end of 2014.
The route with Europe represents almost half of the shipowner's offer on long-haul lines with Brazil.
According to Peter Gyde, chief executive of Maersk Line in Brazil, exporters lost markets and share in 2014, shipping companies closed routes and services retreated “as companies struggled to find the best way to achieve efficiency in their supply chains to maintain some margin and remain sustainable”, said the executive, in a report.
The way out, they say, is to increase trade with strong countries. “It's no use just having a more favorable exchange rate if you don't have anyone to sell to. In addition to reducing logistical costs and the Brazil cost, it is necessary to have bilateral agreements. The most successful countries and least susceptible to these variations in international trade are those that have free trade or bilateral agreements with other strong countries”, says Veraldo, referring to other countries where Maersk Line has a strong presence.
Among the markets that could be better explored by Brazil, he cites the US due to the geographical issue and the concentration of consumer markets that could be complementary, and Europe.
Despite the little absolute movement, ports in the Northeast and North grew consistently in 2014 in the transport of full containers. While ports in the Southeast, which represent 50% of the Brazilian market, shrank by 2,8% in terms of volumes, the composite growth of ports in the North and Northeast regions was 4,4%.
“The Northeast is starting to create its own international commercial ecosystem, but it still doesn’t have the necessary scale”, says Veraldo
Source: Valor Econômico
By Fernanda Pires
