Brazilian meat exports to the Chinese port of Shanghai have been disrupted by a lockdown there, with shipping line operators opting to send cargos to Xingang and Ningbo instead.
Since the Shanghai lockdown began in late March, containers of frozen food have begun backing up at the port, with inspections for incoming meat halted, said a source quoted by Reuters, who was not authorised to speak publicly about the matter.
One big Brazilian meat exporter canceled the shipment of three containers, while another stopped booking new cargo, the source added.
China boosts Brazilian beef exports despite occasional suspensions
Shanghai is the main point of entry for Brazilian meat imports to mainland China, which is Brazil’s top trade partner.
China imported 723,370 tonnes of beef and 640,469 tonnes of chicken from Brazil in 2021, according to industry data, the largest consumer of Brazilian meat by far.
China’s overall imports unexpectedly fell in March as COVID-19 curbs across large parts of the country weighed on domestic demand and hampered trade.
Chinese covid concerns lead to suspension of Brazilian meat export licenses
The situation adds to woes of Brazil’s meat exporters, which have been unable to send cargos to Russia after global container lines temporarily suspended service to and from that country.
Murillo Barbosa, head of private port terminal lobby ATP, told Reuters carriers stopped bookings to Russia in response to Western sanctions on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine.
It is unclear how much cargo is being affected by Shanghai’s lockdown and restrictions on new cargo bookings to Russia.
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