Containers will achieve record in 2010

The world crisis hit hard on Brazilian containers terminals in 2009, but the outlook is for recovery in 2010. After 12 years of non-stop grow, the sector saw a 14.3% drop on the number of container movement made last year, compared with 2008. There were 3,97 million freight compared with 4,51 million made on the previous year. For 2010, the outlook is that Brazil will move 4,7 millions of containers. If confirmed, this number will be a record and will represent an increase of 18.29% compared with 2009.

The president of the Brazilian Association of Containers Terminals of Public Use (Abratec), Sergio Salomao, says that the resume of the sector expansion reflects the recovery of the Brazilian economy itself. This recovery was grounded on home economic stimulus measures that allowed to reduce the effect of the world crisis, said the executive. If confirmed Abratec’s prediction, the industry will come out of the crisis very relatively fast.

In 2009, the Brazilian containers terminals were affected by the fall of the world market, as the biggest part of movement refers to shipping services of overseas navigation, between Brazil and other countries. Another portion, smaller, refers to the cabotage. Today, the international market gives signs of recovery.

“Between the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009, terminals had operated in a reasonable pace, under contracts that were still under force. But, by the middle of last year, the crisis came down”, said Salomao. Abratec’s 2009 data shows that the main ports of the country, with rare exceptions, registered fall on container movement. On the port of Santos, the biggest in Brazil, the fall on the number of handled containers in 2009 was 15.7%, compared with 2008. In Itajai (SC), 12.5%; in Rio de Janeiro, 15.4%; in Vitoria, 20.9%; in Salvador, 4.1% and Suape, 16.7%. Two exceptions were Rio Grande, where the movement of containers grew 5.6% and Manaus, where the port stayed almost stable, with a 0,36% rise.