- COVID pandemic wiped 24.6 million TEU off container market growth
- EU tanker import tonne mile demand up 12% as ships avoid Red Sea area
- Demand shocks drive ship recycling to lowest level in 20 years
- 13% of world seaborne trade under attack from Houthis and Somali pirates
- Ships above 12,000 TEU drive 100% increase in average ship size
Brazil kicks of soya bean export season with a 40.1% drop
The shipping number of the week provides numbers with a brief analysis of relevant developments in the shipping markets.
Brazilian exports of soya beans disappointed in February, the first month of its export season. Exports reached just 2.9m tonnes, representing a 40.1% drop compared with the first month in the last season when exports totalled 4.8 million tonnes.
The start to the 2021 season has thereby been the slowest since 2018, which was before tariffs were imposed on Chinese imports of US soya beans, offering a boost to soya imports from Brazilian ones a boost. It is however worth noting, that after a slow start to the 2018 season, exports rose to their highest level ever (83.7m tonnes), a record that still stands today although last season came close to beating it with 81.6m tonnes.
The slow start to this season is partly due to rain currently delaying harvesting, but also to dry weather having delayed planting it in the first place. These delays do not seem to have affected the size of the harvest, and exports are expected to pick up through March and April.
“Despite a solid harvest, BIMCO does not expect Brazilian soya bean exports in 2021 to perform as well as in 2020, as stocks have been depleted by hungry Chinese buyers last year. This leaves much smaller reserves than what was available last year,” says Peter Sand, BIMCO’s Chief Shipping Analyst.
“With the Chinese pig herd quickly returning to pre-culling levels after the African swine fever outbreak, Chinese soya bean demand will still be strong this year, even though the high imports from 2020 mean plenty of stockpiles. The extent to which China decides to draw on these rather than on importing or maintaining and building stocks further, will likely determine just how strong the soya bean trade will end up in 2021.”
Posted:
10 March 2021
BIMCO's Shipping number of the week
ELSEWHERE ON BIMCO
Contracts & Clauses
All of BIMCO's most widely used contracts and clauses as well as advice on managing charters and business partners.
Learn about your cargo
For general guidance and information on cargo-related queries.
BIMCO Publications
Want to buy or download a BIMCO publication? Use the link to get access to the ballast water management guide, the ship master’s security manual and many other publications.
