Brazil Soybeans to China Shipping: Ports, Ships and Route
Brazil is the largest soybean exporter in the world and China is the largest buyer. The trade fills a large part of the Panamax and Supramax fleet every year.
Loading ports
Soybeans are loaded at ports in the south and south-east, such as Santos, Paranagua and Rio Grande, and at ports in the north and north-east, such as Itaqui, Barcarena and Santarem on the Amazon system. The north is growing because the grain comes from the central farm states by road and river. Each port has its own draft, berth and loading speed.
Season and port queues
The harvest is in the first months of the year and the main export season runs from about February until the middle of the year, with the peak in March to May. In the peak months ships can wait several days for a berth, so the laytime terms and the queue rules in the charter matter. Booking early helps.
Ships used
Panamax ships are the main choice for the long voyage, and Supramax and Ultramax ships also carry large volumes. The draft of the port limits the quantity, and some ships top up at a second port to use their full capacity.
The route to China
The voyage to northern China is among the longest in dry bulk, often by the Cape of Good Hope and across the Indian Ocean, and takes more than a month. The length gives the trade a high weight in ton-miles; see ton-mile. Some ships go to Asia by other routes, and the choice depends on the ship, the speed and the schedule.
Cargo quality and documents
Soybeans are sold on a specification for moisture, damaged beans and foreign matter, and the cargo is inspected at loading. China asks for certificates on plant health, and the cargo may be refused if the documents do not match. The charterer should check the import rules and have the paper ready before the ship arrives.
What to write in your request
The cargo and the quantity with a tolerance, the loading port, the discharging port in China, the laycan, the loading and discharging rates, the queue and demurrage terms, and the delivery term of your sale; see FOB, CFR and CIF. See also chartering ships for grain.
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