Brazilian port, railway and terminal operator VLI reports that September was a record month for fertiliser imports. 285,000 tonnes was offloaded at its Port Integrator Terminal Luiz Antonio Mesquita (Tiplam), which is located in the Port of Santos. The imported fertiliser was inbound from, China, the Middle East and North America for use by customers in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso, São Paulo and Minas Gerais.
Much of this was moved by rail, with VLI accounting for 90% of domestic rail transport of sulphur, rock phosphate and ammonia.
Tiplam’s main role is to serve as a hub for Brazil’s so-called south-east corridor, which involves providing logistics services to the states of São Paulo, Goiás and Minas Gerais. In May, draft was deepened alongside the main quay, and has proved vital in boosting larger volumes, including handling a record consignment of 72,600 tonnes in a single operation.
VLI operates in three main logistics corridors in Brail. Apart from Tiplam, it has connections from the so-called Mineral Triangle to ports in the state of Espírito Santo and also links Tocantins in the country’s north with the ports of São Luís.