Bunge Global SA plans by the end of the week to resume operations at its terminal located at one of Brazil’s key ports after a nearby fire hampered work, according to a Bloomberg report. The company expects activities will restart as of Nov. 4.
On Oct. 28, a fire erupted on a conveyor belt belonging to CAP Terminal at Paranaguá, Brazil’s second-largest port. Bunge temporarily suspended operations at its facility located next to the engulfed area, while saying that its unit was spared in the fire.
It is still unclear when CAP Terminal will resume operations. About 400 meters (1,312 feet) of conveyor belt at the terminal were destroyed, according to preliminary information provided by the port authority to shipping agency Williams Brazil. At least two ships that were expected to load in a berth in the area have been relocated to other parts of the port, Paranaguá Port Authority reported on Oct. 31.
The affected terminal was loading soybeans from Cargill Inc., shipping agency Cargonave Group said. Cargill confirmed the terminal was used by the company, adding its cargo was not heavily impacted and the shipment in progress at the time of the incident could be completed safely.
The disruption of shipments comes at a time when Brazilian ports are crowded, with the country in the midst of exporting bumper crops of soybeans, corn, and sugar. Ships are waiting much longer than usual to load, especially after recent rains interrupted loadings.
Wait times at the nation’s two largest ports were already trending above previous years, according to shipping agency Alphamar Agencia Maritima. Vessels were waiting an average of 64 days to dock in Paranagua as of Oct. 26, compared with 11 days a year earlier. For Santos, Brazil’s biggest port, the wait time is averaging 19 days, versus three days in 2022.