The port of Itaqui was not affected by the lockdown measures imposed this week in Maranhão to combat the new coronavirus, said on Thursday, May 7, the port’s president, Ted Lago. The port exported more than 10% of soy from Brazil in 2019. Now, Itaqui projects a 16% increase in grain exports between January and May, to 4.3 million tons, mainly of soy. The port also forecasts a 65% increase in fertilizer imports in the period from January to May, to 986 thousand tons, with Brazilian farmers anticipating acquisitions for the 2020/21 harvest, according to the executive. The capital of Maranhão, São Luís, where the port is located, became this week the first large Brazilian city to implement the “lockdown”. The increase in global demand for N95 masks amid the coronavirus pandemic was accompanied by the growth in cellulose exports via Itaqui, said Lago, referring to the raw material used in the production of the equipment.
Source: Reuters