Santos Port Congestion Hits Soybeans and Coffee Differently

The port of Santos in Brazil is facing congestion issues that are affecting two types of commodities differently.

Bulk cargoes such as soybeans, corn, and sugar compete head-on for rail capacity, truck access, berthing windows, and inland transportation, leading to direct pressure on shippers. Soybean, corn, and sugar exporters at the port are dealing with a concentration of cargo on infrastructure and inland capacity, which has limited flexibility.

The congestion is also affected by weather conditions that slow operations and inland traffic, producing a cascading effect. As a result, bulk shippers experience strong volumes slowing down inland transportation, adding yard pressure, and reducing equipment and vessel capacity for the next shipment.

Coffee exporters at Santos feel the same congestion one step removed because coffee moves mainly in containers rather than in bulk. Road congestion, terminal capacity, truck appointments, and equipment availability become the pressure points, while vessel disruptions that see ships omit Santos as a destination port reduce the supply of empty containers.